The List
by LadeeBear
Summary: Five years can change nearly everything. What happens when Sonny returns to L.A. for a "So Random!" reunion special? And who from her past will she run into? Eventual Sonny/Chad. Response to PrettyKittyKat23's challenge.
1. Grown Ups

**Hey everyone. I've decided to take up **PrettyKittyKat23's **challenge and write a story that is set a few years into the future with Chad and Sonny. Hopefully I can update on a semi-weekly basis, but if you don't hear from me for a few weeks, just remember – I **_**am **_**in college. ;) Please sit back, relax, and enjoy some fun.**

_Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, with the exception of any OC's you may encounter throughout the story._

_Spoilers: Potentially anything that has aired. If there is a specific spoiler for a chapter, I will let you know in the author's note preceding that chapter. Otherwise, I will assume you have seen all of the episodes!_

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The List

"_We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves." – May Lamberton Becker_

Chapter 1: Grown-Ups

Sonny Monroe futilely attempted to apply a sheer layer of lip gloss to her pouted pink lips as the red pick-up truck she was riding in rolled along the country highway. Chance rustled around in the back, his spotted tail wagging excitedly back and forth as the car meandered down the road. The dog then proceeded to stick his head out of the open window and let his tongue dance around the summer breeze.

"Chance, you're such a strange dog," Cal noted with a shake of his head. Sonny twisted around in her seat to observe the Dalmatian's delight. "I swear," the young man continued, "it's like you'd think I never let him outside."

"He loves Wisconsin as much as we do," the brunette replied, zipping her purse shut and setting it onto the floor.

Cal glanced quickly at the young woman beside him in his truck and rubbed her arm. "I'm beginning to think you don't really want to go back."

This statement seemed to snap Sonny out of a trance. "No," she assured, "it's not that I don't want to go back, it's just…it's going to be _weird _to see all of these people again."

"It's only been five years."

"Yes," Sonny breathed, "but people change a lot in five years. I just feel like it's a chore to have to pick up for a few weeks just to shoot a _So Random! _reunion special when we all have lives of our own. Heck, the teenagers these days have never even heard of _So Random! _before."

The pair was silent for a moment before Cal opted to respond. "I think it's good that you go. It'll be nice to spend some time with all of those people you tell stories about. You know that deep down, you truly do miss them all."

The brunette rubbed her eyes wearily before sighing. "I'm sorry. I really do miss them. It's just that this internship application is due when I come back, so I'll have that hanging over my head the whole trip, and then there's leaving Mom and you…" Sonny turned to the young man beside her and frowned. "I'm going to miss you, Cal."

Cal's green eyes twinkled. "Sonny, I love you, and I'm going to miss you too. But you're going to have a blast in California. You get to stay with Tawni, right?"

Sonny's face stretched into a genuine smile as she thought of her former co-star and close friend. "I'm really looking forward to seeing her. We haven't really caught up since Marshall's wedding last year."

The truck gathered speed as it rolled up a hill. Sonny stared out the window and admired the lush trees and flowers that littered the ground. She chuckled as they passed a field where half a dozen spotted cows roamed and grazed. It made her recall when she used to have a cow-print phone.

"See? You're going to have so much fun. And you'll be home before you know it," he assured her, as he took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. Sonny beamed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Cal let go of her hand abruptly as he reached over her lap into the glove compartment and retrieved a folded piece of paper.

"Before I forget, this is for you," he said, placing the paper into her hands. Sonny frowned and prepared to open it before Cal stopped her. "I want you to wait until you're on the plane though. Promise?"

"Promise."

The brunette smiled as she placed the paper into her purse and leaned against the passenger's seat of the truck, content and prepared to embark on her trip.

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Sonny Monroe was looking forward to seeing her old cast, don't get her wrong. She was even looking forward to spending a few weeks of the summer in sunny California. But there was a small chance, a miniscule possibility that she would have to run into him again. And even though five years apart may have made her wiser, they didn't make her forget what he did to her.

The brunette currently reached into her purse in search of some gum for the plane's take-off and realized that she had not yet opened Cal's letter. The thoughtful Engineering major she had met at the University of Wisconsin had been dating her for the past two years, and she was fairly certain that once she graduated next year, he would propose. She would say yes. Cal was, after all, the sweetest, most generous, and most wonderful young man she had ever dated. He was down-to-earth, sensitive, and genuinely cared about her thoughts and feelings. He was everything that she wanted in a boyfriend. Cal was, in fact, her _best _friend. That is, apart from her roommates. The two girls she had lived with since her freshman year of college had reminded her, in odd ways, of Zora and Tawni. Her roommate Lynn was a Popular Music major, who was nearly as vain as Tawni at times, but despite that, they had grown to be great friends. Jennifer was more like Zora than anyone else – the fiery red-head had a knack for pulling pranks on people and scheming revenge better than anyone. Yet, the woman had a kind heart and was Sonny's confidante.

Shaking her head, the brunette realized she had digressed into a train of thought in her attempt to discover what Cal had written to her. She unfolded the piece of paper and scanned it. Sonny was puzzled momentarily before realization dawned on her and she chuckled.

_Sonny's Top Ten_

_By: Sonny Monroe_

_Attend a movie premiere party._

_Go cow-tipping._

_Start a charity._

_Host a scary movie marathon._

_Have a song written about me._

_Buy a pair of expensive shoes._

_Try an espresso._

_Visit a foreign country._

_Build an igloo._

_Go sky-diving._

Scrawled at the bottom of the list was a note in Cal's handwriting.

_I found this in the back of my truck when I was cleaning out the other day. Remember the night we spent star-gazing in the field? You told me there was a list you had made when you were sixteen of things you wanted to do before you graduated college. I underlined the ones that you have yet to accomplish. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to fulfill at least one of these before you come home. Have an amazing time in California, Moo. Wisconsin, and more importantly me, will miss you dearly. I love you._

Sonny giggled as she recalled Cal's friendly nickname for her. He had coined her as "Moo" the day that she met him at freshman orientation. It had been a few hours into the orientation and the president of the school was giving a long-winded and dull address. Of course, Sonny's phone – which had accidentally been left on – began to incessantly ring in her default ringtone. That, of course, was to the tune of a cow mooing.

Cal referred to her as "Moo" for the rest of the day.

And as Sonny leaned back against the scratchy airplane seat, she rested her eyes momentarily and couldn't help but smile. Cal wanted her to enjoy the few weeks of filming that she had in California. He wanted her to forget about stressing and to enjoy a reunion with the people that, five years ago, meant the most to her in life. He wanted her to reconnect with her old friendships and find the child in her again. Because, whether she admitted it or not, twenty-one year old legal adult Sonny had somehow lost the spunk and innocence that accompanied her five years ago. The bubbly girl was still there, no doubt. Friends and family could always rely on Sonny to be cheerful and helpful to others.

But there was something distinctly absent from the actress' life. She always told herself that it was because she grew older – she had to grow up, didn't she? Thus, Sonny donned a more serious, goal-oriented work ethic, pushed aside crazy schemes and pranks, and devoted herself to her future, wherever that may have been. Maybe, just maybe, her trip to California would be a chance to revisit that child inside of her. Maybe spending a few weeks in Tawni's apartment would rekindle their energetic friendship and bond.

And maybe, just maybe, she would fulfill the last four things on her list.

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**Okay guys, that is the first chapter of the story for you! I hope you enjoyed it. I know Sonny seems a bit OOC at the beginning, but I hopefully explained why she is this way at the end of this chapter. You have to remember that five years changes a lot in someone's life. If you haven't noticed, Chad is briefly mentioned, albeit in a negative way, in this chapter. I promise there will be good stuff to come and lots of drama and romance will ensue!**

**Please read and review, and let me know what you thought of the introductory chapter! Thanks everyone! :) **


	2. For Everything There Was a Season

**Thank you to **xoOhhMyyEdward **for commenting on the first chapter of the story. I know it may start off slow – and for a lot of people, they may not want to turn in since it's not Sonny/Chad right off the bat – but I have some interesting things planned up ahead if you stick with it! I'll leave you with a little taste of what the story will be like at the end of this chapter. Hope you all read, review, and most importantly, ENJOY! :)**

_Disclaimer: Disney owns everything. I own nothing. _

_Spoilers: Everything that has aired so far on television. _

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The List

"_Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over." – Gloria Naylor_

Chapter 2: For Everything There Was a Season

At twenty-one years of age, Tawni Hart had managed the art of simultaneously texting, flipping her hair, and winking at a cute boy she passed by without missing a step in her three-inch heels. It was an art form rarely achieved by others, and one she valued highly. And it came in handy in crowded airports like LAX, where she currently stood at Gate 14A, awaiting the arrival of her once-roommate and long-time friend.

While Tawni waited, she contemplated the last time she saw the aforementioned brunette. It had undoubtedly been at least a year ago, hadn't it? Ah, yes, it was at Marshall's wedding. Sonny had made a brief appearance at the ceremony with her boyfriend Cal. The two watched as Marshall exchanged vows with Joy. Tawni beamed from the wooden pew of the church – it was encouraging to see love happen, regardless of age or personality differences. "Wedding March" played as the guests rose to their feet and smiled, some dabbing their eyes with tissues. Tawni craned her neck and stood on her toes, scanning for Sonny who had disappeared. The blonde elbowed Nico in the ribs.

"Ow!" the young man exclaimed. "What did I do?"

"Have you seen Sonny?" Tawni asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "I swear I just saw her and Cal sitting in one of the back pews."

Nico shrugged his shoulders and followed the row of _So Random! _cast members out of the church. "I wouldn't expect her to stick around for very long, given who is here and all…"

Tawni frowned. "That happened four years ago. I would have thought she'd gotten over it by now. She _has _a boyfriend after all. She's crazy about him."

Nico murmured. "She's crazy about someone, alright."

A stern look from Tawni silenced the actor and his stiff suit lifted in another shrug. "I'm just stating the facts. If she can't be in the same room as Chad Dylan Cooper and it's been four years, something's up."

When Sonny and Cal didn't show up to the reception, Tawni had to begrudgingly believe that Nico was right.

Now the blonde stood, watching the slow flow of disembarking passengers with interest. She bit her lip nervously and hoped that Sonny's people-reading skills had diminished over the past few years, or else she was doomed. The young woman's face brightened as she recognized the cow-print carry-on tote that a passenger was wheeling.

"Sonny!"

The brunette looked up and around her momentarily before locating the voice that had uttered her name. Sonny beamed and practically ran toward Tawni, dropping her things beside her friend in order to give her a full hug. Under normal circumstances, Tawni Hart detested hugs, but surprisingly she found herself eager to hug the friend she had barely spoken to in a year.

"You look…" Tawni studied Sonny's tousled hair and sweatpants momentarily before finishing. "…great!"

Sonny rolled her eyes. "Tawni, you don't have to lie to me."

The blonde sighed and wiped her forehead dramatically. "Thank God. You look terrible."

"Aw, now there's the Tawni that I know and love," Sonny sarcastically finished, grinning nevertheless. She knelt down to scoop up her bags and followed Tawni through LAX.

"So, how have things been recently?"

Tawni nodded thoughtfully. "Not too bad, I guess. I was kind of surprised Marshall wanted to arrange a five year reunion for the show."

"Yeah," Sonny agreed. "Five years is kind of an awkward length of time to have a reunion for. Don't people usually wait ten years for reunions?"

"I thought so," the blonde said as the pair stepped onto the escalator. "But you know how Marshall is. Once he gets an idea, he tends to run with it."

Sonny smiled and stared out the large window to her right. The California sun lit up the smog-painted sky, and she couldn't help but shake her head. Tawni noticed this.

"What is it?" she asked.

Sonny just continued to shake her head. "I can't believe I'm actually back here."

"Well, I'm glad that you're back. It'll be nice to have some company at the apartment for a few weeks. It gets pretty lonely there sometimes."

"I'm really looking forward to some time together," Sonny replied honestly. "And I can't wait to see Nico, Zora, and Grady."

"They're all excited to see you as well," Tawni assured.

As the pair stepped off the escalator and walked toward the luggage carousel, Tawni silently prayed that Sonny would not hate her come Monday.

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"Wow, Tawni, your place is absolutely gorgeous!"

Tawni smiled as she shut the front door to her apartment that overlooked the city. Sonny had already trotted over toward the balcony and had thrown open the double doors, allowing fresh sunlight and sound to pour into the living room. Tawni, meanwhile, was wheeling Sonny's luggage into the guest bedroom.

"So you can stay in here," she explained loudly from the other room, "and I hope you don't mind cats because Landon likes to roam into this room sometimes in the middle of the night."

"That's fine," the brunette absentmindedly shouted from the balcony. She propped her elbows on the railing and peered down at the cars whizzing by below. A permanent smile seemed to be plastered on her face as she recalled the years spent living with her mom in an apartment of their own.

Tawni leaned against the doorframe and smiled knowingly. "You missed L.A., didn't you?"

Sonny turned around and sighed. "Oddly enough, I didn't miss it until I got back here. Is that weird?"

"Nope," Tawni remarked. "that's L.A."

The brunette laughed and the pair re-entered Tawni's apartment. The blonde promptly decided to plop onto her couch and invited Sonny to do the same. After a moment of silence and a mischievous smile, Tawni decided to speak.

"So," she began, leaning forward as she tended to do whenever she was eager to hear gossip, "tell me about the boyfriend. How are things going?"

Sonny tried to hide a bashful smile, but Tawni noticed and pointed a perfectly manicured finger at her guest. "Ah, I knew it!"

"Things are," Sonny began, a sparkle evident in her dark eyes, "going really well. He loves me and I love him, and he's such a sweetheart. My family loves him too."

Tawni smiled happily and clasped her hands together. "I'm glad. You deserve a good guy for once."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Tawni wished she could take them back. Sonny's smile slowly faded and she coughed awkwardly. Biting her lip, the blonde hurriedly attempted to retract her statement. "It's not that – I didn't mean – I just – with what happened before you left and all, I –"

Sonny held up a hand to silence her friend. "It's okay, Tawn. I know you didn't mean it that way." There was another moment of tense silence, and Sonny could hear the sound of muffled conversations between passerbys on the street as the wafted up through Tawni's open window. The blonde rose abruptly and scurried toward the location of the noise, shutting the balcony doors.

"Do you…have you seen him?"

Tawni's back was to Sonny as the latter posed her hesitant question. The blonde took a breath and licked her lips before turning around. Instead of walking back toward her friend, Tawni remained where she was. "The last time I saw him was at Marshall's wedding last year."

Sonny nodded solemnly and stared at her hands. She didn't know why she cared, but there was still a part of her, perhaps a part that desired to hear about him. It was a sick disease for which she had yet to discover a cure.

"I was just…curious."

Tawni nodded and breathed a sigh. Her eyes flickered toward the clock, and decided it was the opportune moment to change the subject. "Girl, you must be starving. I know airplane food is pretty gross these days."

Sonny chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, you have no idea."

"How about I whip us up something to eat? We can relax and watch re-runs of _Gossip Girl_. Nothing solves jetlag like a good dose of Chace Crawford."

The two young women exchanged knowing glances before bursting out in laughter. "Oh, you know me too well, Tawni," Sonny replied. The brunette picked up the remote and scrolled through Tawni's DVR before a thought seemed to hit her and she squirmed around to observe Tawni shuffling through her cabinets and locating various pots and pans. "Wait," she exclaimed, "since when do you cook?"

With hands on her hips, Tawni studied her friend and pointed a fork at her threateningly. "I'll have you know that I have learned to cook," she explained. "Decently. Sort of. Okay, truthfully, I'm an expert at boiling water, but I'm making progress!"

Sonny let out a barking laugh and clutched her side as she rolled onto the couch. Tawni frowned and glared as she pulled out a box of pasta from the cabinet and a jar of Vodka sauce. "I can make penne a la vodka. So that's what we're going to have," she settled.

A little while later, the pair sat at Tawni's bar-stools, each with a plate of food scraped clean and half-empty glasses of wine. "You know, Tawni, I have to admit that this food was actually quite amazing."

The chef beamed as she cleared away the plates and emptied the glasses. "Thank you very much."

Sonny yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "As much as I would love to continue our _Gossip Girls _marathon, I think I'm going to get ready for bed."

Tawni nodded in understanding. "Yeah, you had a long flight and we have a busy day tomorrow with everything."

"I still can't believe I'm here," the Wisconsin native said with a sigh. "It feels like just yesterday…"

Tawni yawned and nodded her head yet again. "I totally get you. But tomorrow starts the joyous reunion, so we should be on top of our game before we start filming again."

"Man, it's been so long since I've done sketches," Sonny remarked with a tinge of nostalgia evident in her voice.

"You'll do fine," Tawni reassured her. "You always did."

"Yeah…" the young woman whispered in response. There was a pause before she spoke again. "…well, I'm headed to bed." The brunette moved toward Sonny and hugged her genuinely. "Thank you for letting me stay here," she finished.

"No problem, Sonny. No problem at all."

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Sonny Monroe wearily opened her eyes as the alarm clock on the bedside table buzzed incessantly. She stretched out a hand and slapped the top of the clock, successfully managing to shut it off. The young woman yawned and ran a hand through her messy hair. She distinctly heard humming and the water running from the room beside hers, and suspected that Tawni was showering. So, she threw off her comforter and dangled her legs over the side of the bed before wrapping her robe around her body and shuffling into the kitchen. As Tawni had predicted the night before, Landon, the tabby cat that Tawni owned, had snuck into her room during the night and his green eyes followed her from under the bed.

The young woman was greeted by the distinct aroma of Panera bagels and perked coffee as she entered the kitchen. Smiling, she plucked a Cinnamon Crunch bagel from the bag and poured herself a cup of coffee. Within a few minutes, Tawni emerged from the bathroom, towel-drying her damp hair and humming a Broadway showtune under her breath.

"Morning Sonny," the perky blonde greeted.

Sonny blinked and took another swig of her coffee before replying. "How on earth do you always manage to be so chipper in the morning? You realize it's not even nine o'clock yet, right? How long have you been up?"

"Well," Tawni began, opening the refrigerator and retrieving a gallon of orange juice, "I usually get up at seven and then work-out for forty-five minutes, take a shower, and then eat breakfast. That's how I try to start every morning."

Sonny whistled and took a bite of her bagel. "You really put the rest of us mere mortals to shame. I can't remember the last time I worked out."

"You'll have to come running with me sometime. It's a great energy booster."

Sonny merely laughed in response. Tawni gathered various assortments of fruits and began placing them into her blender, still humming happily. The brunette popped the last bit of food into her mouth and drained her coffee.

"I'm going to shower now, Tawn. What time do you plan on leaving?"

Tawni glanced at the clock and seemed to debate. "We're supposed to be there by noon, but with L.A. traffic, you never know how long it can take. You wanna leave here around eleven?"

Sonny nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Tawni turned the blender on and searched through her cabinets to find a glass to pour her smoothie into. She laughed slightly as she heard Sonny singing in the shower from the other room. _Some things never change_, she thought. As the blonde ambled into the living room to turn on the television, her cell phone rang. She checked the clock and then looked at the caller ID on the cell before answering it.

"Yeah, we're going to plan on being there before noon. No, I haven't told her yet. Because I didn't want to ruin her first night back in L.A., that's why, Zora. I know, I know. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine. Yes, I'm sure. I'll see you in a little bit."

As Tawni hung up the phone, she sighed and twisted a strand of hair around her finger before staring up at the ceiling.

"If there's a God in Heaven, please let this work out."

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Sonny enjoyed riding in Tawni's cherry red convertible. She especially enjoyed when the weather was nice enough to roll the top down and blast country music. The people in the cars beside them never quite understood. She doubted they ever would.

Nostalgia hit her like a tsunami wave as the car pulled into the familiar parking lot of Condor Studios. The two girls pushed their sunglasses back so that they perched atop their now messy hair.

"Wow," they whispered in unison. Tawni shut the engine off and stared at the front of the building with awe. It seemed like just last week that she had rolled up into the studio in her mom's car, clutching tightly to her bedazzled pink purse with nervous anticipation. Now, the adult sat in her own car and took it all in.

"Ready?" the blonde asked her friend. Sonny looked over and nodded, before stepping out of the car and adjusting the straps of her vibrant sundress. She ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it out and placing the sunglasses into her purse. As the two pushed open the studio doors, they heard a familiar voice echoing from down the hallway.

Sonny and Tawni turned into the Commissary to find an older gentleman in the middle of telling an apparently amusing story to a group seated around one of the tables. The red-haired woman beside him clutched onto his elbow and laughed at appropriate times. As the pair entered, Marshall looked up and his face bust into a genuine grin.

"Tawni! Sonny! So glad you could both make it!"

The three who had been intently listening to Marshall's story turned around at the mention of their fellow cast members and leapt to their feet. Zora was the first to rush Sonny and nearly tackled her with a hug. A little girl no longer, the now-sixteen year old beamed and looked up at her friend from behind her characteristic wispy bangs. Sonny's face exploded with happiness.

"Zora!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the girl. "No more pigtails, I see."

Zora chuckled and shook her head. "I think I gave those up after I turned twelve." The youngest former cast member then hugged Tawni and began chatting with her excitedly, which gave Nico and Grady the chance to hug and greet their old friend.

"Sonny, girl, how have you been?" Nico asked, smiling.

"I've been good, how about you guys? Staying out of trouble, I hope."

Nico looked at Grady and the two shrugged. "You know us," Grady responded, his round face glowing. "Trouble kinda follows us."

Sonny laughed and nodded before hugging Marshall. The director ushered the friends to sit down, and each pulled up a chair at the table. "Now," he began, "I would just like to say that it is so wonderful to see all of you kids – I mean, _adults _– together again." The cast members looked around the table at each other and smiled. Sonny felt her heart skip inside of her chest. This was one of the happiest moments she had experienced in her life lately – being reunited with people she cared about and who cared about her was the best feeling in the world.

"I know you all are excited to start this reunion process, and I have a lot of ideas that we can talk about over the next week before we shoot the sketches and promotional videos and such. But first, the reunion wouldn't be complete without the other guests."

Suddenly, Sonny's stomach turned cold and her face froze. "What other guests?" she asked, throwing a quick glance at Tawni, who seemed oddly preoccupied with staring at her nails. In fact, the entire room, with the exception of Marshall and Joy, seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her.

So Sonny twisted her body around in her seat, even though she was fairly certain that she knew who was about to walk through the doors. Into the room strutted the old cast of _Mackenzie Falls_, the girls looking as if they had just stepped off the covers of _Vogue _and _InStyle_, while the boys fixed their ties and suits.

And of course, the pack was led by a tall, handsome young man, dressed in a navy blazer, complete with a white T-shirt underneath. He wore jeans and casually strolled into the room with his hands in his pockets. Smooth blonde hair flopped over his forehead, but did not obscure his captivating blue eyes that held as much power and beauty as the ocean did during a storm.

Sonny could clearly feel her heart pounding as he looked around the room and his eyes fell on hers.

Chad Dylan Cooper had arrived.

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**Okay, so this chapter was a bit longer than the first one, but I hope you all enjoyed it, nevertheless. Drama has unfolded, and will continue to as the story progresses. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and thank you all for taking the time to read and review!**


	3. A Demon in My Safest Haven

**Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing this story so far! It is such an encouragement to read positive reviews and also letting me know what you think about the chapter. So I happily extend my thank-you's to: **Sama, BoulderGirl1059, SonnyChadFan, Kuki200, schnauzerlover, Harryfan94, **and **addicted2SWAC**. You all are the reason I continue writing, and I appreciate all of your comments!**

**Now onto the good stuff – I am happy that you all like the re-introduction of Chad into Sonny's life. You're probably dying to know what happened between them five years ago, since I mention (and will mention vaguely) it every chapter. But it wouldn't be fun if you knew right away, now would it? ;) Trust me though, you will find out.**

**Otherwise, please sit back, relax, and enjoy the next chapter of this fic! **

_Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure Disney owns everything but my soul. They do not, however, own the lyric that the title of this chapter comes from. Guess it, and I'll give you a cookie!_

_Spoilers: Everything that has aired._

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The List

"_I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken -- and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived." – Margaret Mitchell_

Chapter 3: A Demon in My Safest Haven

The one thing that Sonny Monroe could be thankful for was the fact that Chad looked just as stunned to see her sitting in the commissary as she had been to see him. That was good, of course, because it meant that whatever sick plan her cast members had concocted had not been fueled by him.

Sonny yanked her gaze away from his and refocused it on the table. How could they have not told her? Her supposed "best friend" had known the entire time and failed to inform her? Did her friends secretly cling to some nostalgic whiff from the good old days – did they expect her and Chad to return to what they had once been? It wouldn't happen. Not again. It couldn't. She knew that, he knew that, and _they _would have to know that.

Marshall's friendly greeting stirred the brunette from her inner monologue. "Welcome, welcome," he said as the _Mackenzie Falls _cast took their seats at a separate table from the _So Random! _members. "Now," the man continued, "I hope that you all are just as enthusiastic to be reunited as I am."

Portlyn drummed her manicured nails on the tabletop and shot a glare, which Tawni intercepted and returned. _Some people never change, _Sonny thought sadly. It was a shame that the majority of the teenagers she used to work with, despite the fact that five years had passed, still acted immaturely.

The heavy irony of her thought slammed into Sonny's brain. She did not have time to process it, however, because Marshall was speaking again.

"I planned this five year reunion special with permission from Mr. Condor. He thinks it would be a good idea to highlight the two most successful shows to come out of his studio. And so," Marshall continued, distributing blank sheets of paper to the young adults, "we could probably come up with some ideas for the hour-long special. Maybe we could do cut some interviews with a few clips from fan-favorited episodes. We could possibly even parody some episodes…"

Sonny chewed on the cap of her pen and listened to Nico tap his pen against the table. A few of the _Mackenzie Falls _snobs rolled their eyes. One – Sonny thought it might have been Chastity – raised her hand in a rather bored manner. Marshall, in turn, raised his eyebrow.

"Yes?"

Chastity sighed and turned to the rest of her friends. "Well, it's just that when we used to be on _Mackenzie Falls_, we never had to write our own scripts. We had professional, award-winning screenwriters who got paid to do that for us."

"That," Zora noted sardonically, "is because half of you can't write."

Sonny chuckled and glanced sideways at the table to gauge the reaction from the drama snobs. It was as she expected – they were gaping and glaring.

"At least our show had viewers," Portlyn snapped.

Chad, who had until that point been staring at the blank piece of paper before him, startled at his own words being echoed from Portlyn's mouth. The former licked his lips and stole a glance at Sonny. She appeared to have the same reaction as he did, which was probably why Tawni coughed awkwardly.

"Both Mr. Condor and I think it would be more creative and personal if the script came from you all," Marshall replied. "Now," the director continued, voice growing a bit more stern, "does anyone have issue with this?"

No one spoke.

"Well kids," Joy said, easing the tension, "how about you all scurry out onto stage three? That's where you'll be planning and filming."

Grady and Nico high-fived one another. "Yes!" the former exclaimed as everyone rose from their respective chairs, "We're going to be on our turf again! Can you smell the prop house?"

Zora wrinkled her nose as she looked at the pair. "I smell something alright, but I don't think it's got anything to do with the prop house…"

Tawni and Sonny laughed as the group exited behind Marshall and Joy. Chad Dylan Cooper shoved his hands into his pocket as everyone filed off in the direction of the stage. He, however, waved a hand at his friends, indicating that he would join them shortly. Portlyn frowned and gave him a strange look, but let him be. Finally, Chad was alone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, barely noticing how his fingers trembled. Why hadn't anyone told him that Sonny would be back in town?

The blonde paced the room and traced the floor with the toe of his shoe. Sure, he would have probably freaked out if he had known beforehand, but at least it seemed like Sonny had been oblivious to his arrival as well. That was probably because she hated him. He sighed. Five whole years he had gone without really seeing or hearing from her. After she had returned to Wisconsin, he had tried to call her endlessly, but he knew better – she had caller ID after all. So he tried letters. No response. He even went as far as to call up Zora and ask her if she had spoken with Sonny (she hadn't).

Chad pursed his lips before exhaling slowly, hearing the pounding in his chest quite clearly. It was clear that she had moved on, also. He had been invited to Marshall's wedding to Bitterman (for the love of God, he could not stand to refer to her as "Joy"), and he knew for certain that Sonny would be there. And she had been. Briefly.

He remembered the day clearer than he thought possible for any person to remember an event. She had walked in with her dark hair gently falling into curls at her shoulders. He had turned around in his seat to see her standing there, looking more beautiful than anyone he could have imagined in her flowing green dress. He could have stared at her forever and been content. Of course, she was on the arm of another guy. And of course, that guy had nudged her gently to draw her attention to the blonde heartthrob who had been quietly admiring her.

The next minute, she left.

Chad shook his head, attempting to clear away the thoughts that had migrated subtly there. He frowned slightly as he noticed a cell phone sitting under the leg of a chair. The moment he knelt down to pick up the lost item, he heard the echo of footsteps grow louder.

"Yeah, it must have fallen out in the commissary. I'll be there in a –"

Sonny had trailed off mid-sentence upon re-entering the commissary. Breath hitched in her throat, the brunette just stared. A few awkward seconds felt like an eternity before Chad extended the phone in his hand to her.

"I, uh, guess this is yours," he mumbled.

Sonny took a hesitant step toward the actor and retrieved her phone before slurring: "Thank you." And, quite suddenly, Sonny found the windows of the dining area to be extremely intriguing. Chad, on the other hand, decided to attempt small-talk.

"So…" he began, slowly and unsurely. Sonny focused her gaze on him momentarily, but found that eye contact was too unbearable. "…you enjoying L.A. so far?"

"Yeah," the young woman breathed.

Another pause followed and Chad laughed under his breath. Looking toward him, Sonny's eyebrows furrowed. "What's funny?"

Chad lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug. "The fact that we can't even do small-talk."

"I don't…"

Chad studied the woman for a moment before stepping toward her. Sonny's eyes widened, yet she remained planted where she was. Thankfully for her, Chad paused in his step. "You don't…what? Think that two supposedly mature adults can handle small-talk with one another?"

"We," Sonny emphasized, gesturing toward herself and Chad, "are not like most people."

The blonde nodded thoughtfully. "True. But shouldn't we at least try to be civil toward one another? It's supposed to be a joyous reunion, remember?"

Sonny laughed, unaware if Chad intended the pun. The young man smiled in response to Sonny's laugh. He always loved to hear her laugh. Finally, after a moment or two of deliberating, the woman nodded. "We can try to be civil. I'll try, I guess."

"Okay."

The corner of Sonny's mouth tugged into a half-smile. "Okay."

Chad extended his hand, and the brunette eyed it warily. Rolling his eyes, the actor heaved a sigh. "Come on, Monroe."

"Fine," she responded, reluctantly shaking hands with Chad. The moment her palm connected with his, a feeling that hadn't surfaced in over five years bubbled and it scared her, mainly because she couldn't pinpoint the feeling. Also, because she didn't want to admit that she felt something.

Chad smiled genuinely as he let go, albeit reluctantly, of Sonny's hand. A pause later, he asked: "Should we be headed toward stage three now?"

"Oh, yeah, we should probably do that…"

"Sonny," Chad abruptly said, causing Sonny to halt in her venture to the exit. She gave him a searching glance so he continued quickly. "I just wanna say that it's good to see you again."

The brunette stared at him without saying anything, as she usually did whenever she was carefully choosing her words inside of her head. This time though, her chocolate eyes grew a shade darker and the actress walked out of the room without saying anything in response.

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"So then," Sonny explained as she curled up across from Tawni on the couch, "he said that it was good to see me again."

"And what did you say?" the friend asked with intrigue.

Sonny shook her head. "I didn't say anything." After a moment of thinking, she added: "Should I have said something?"

Tawni mimicked her guest's action. "No, you shouldn't have. It would have been a lie to tell him anything of the same caliber."

The Wisconsin native nodded her head as she stroked Landon, who purred happily. "I guess you're right. Even though I hate his guts, I still do feel bad for leaving him standing there without saying anything in return."

"You think about things too much," the blonde explained as she sipped her chai tea. "Just let bygones be bygones for a few weeks and then, once you're back in Wisconsin, you can go back to never speaking to him."

A twinge pinched Sonny's stomach and she searched for the right response. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Can I ask you something though?"

"Sure, girl. Ask away."

"Why didn't you tell me that Chad was going to be filming with us?"

Tawni looked out the window with guilt before looking back at Sonny. "Promise you won't be upset?" she asked.

With a little laugh, Sonny agreed.

"I talked to everyone a while ago," Tawni began, "and we decided that we all wanted to see you so much. We felt like the part of you that left here a few years back got lost along your way back to Wisconsin. I guess for us, it feels like there's something missing between the twenty-one year old Sonny and the sixteen-year old that we knew."

Tears welled up behind Sonny's eyes as the full force of her friend's concern washed over her. Tawni continued.

"So I guess that we just selfishly wanted you to come back and knew that if we told you Chad would be here, you would find some excuse to back out."

Laughing bitterly, Sonny remarked: "That's probably true." After a moment of thinking about it, the brunette continued her thought aloud. "I guess it's just that after five years, I thought I would be able to be more mature about this whole thing. Getting your heart broken sucks, but piecing things back together is the real kicker. He's just this demon from my past that's hiding away in my safe little havens, waiting for me to accidentally stumble on him at some point. And then, I get so freaked out and retreat so far within myself that I dwell in hurt over and over again."

"That's deep, Sonny," Tawni remarked. "Even for you."

A smile stretched across the brunette's face. "I'm surprised you sat through the whole thing without zoning off or looking at your reflection."

"Now, see here, Sonny Monroe," the blonde retorted with a teasing grin, "I have graduated from the School of Vanity, thank you very much."

"Did you throw out all of those old framed pictures of you that you had set up all over our dressing room?"

There was a pause.

"…no."

Sonny laughed so hard that tea nearly shot out of her nose, while Tawni crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed. Upon seeing her friend's reaction, Sonny stood up and sat beside the blonde, patting her shoulder in mock comfort.

"There, there, Tawn," she consoled. "Not everyone can graduate from the School of Vanity. There are always a few drop-outs."

That night, Sonny learned how to successfully dodge pillows being flung in her direction.

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**Well, there you are! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was awkward for me to even be writing the conversation between Sonny and Chad. I can't imagine how awkward it would be to have something like that happen in real life. Anyway, I thought I'd end this chapter on a lighter note. But never fear – drama will return! ;) **

**You all know what to do: read, review, and repeat!**


	4. Of Scary Movies and Scarier Revelations

**THANK YOU to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story. You all are so amazing and are seriously the guiding force throughout the fic. Since I got a lot of comments within the last day, I thought I would update again for you wonderful reviewers! So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy another chapter of "The List." :) **

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, yadda, yadda._

_Spoilers: Anything that has aired._

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The List

"_He conquers who endures." – Persius_

Chapter 4: Of Scary Movies and Scarier Revelations

Throughout her entire life, Sonny Monroe had been told to make lists.

It started in elementary school when teachers would tell their students to list people who they admired. The list, for Sonny, was difficult simply because she could never narrow her prospective role models or idols to a mere list. When she was thirteen, her mother had instructed her to comprise another list, this one containing qualities that she wanted her future boyfriend or spouse to have. Sitting down and writing the list was enjoyable, but applying the list was another aspect altogether. This list could not remain shoved in the back of some drawer – this list needed to be lived out daily.

Without anyone's pressing, when Sonny was sixteen years old, she compiled her third, and final list. This was one containing a few things that she desired to accomplish before completing college. Looking back over the list was amusing to say the least, and she had revised it a bit over the years, but essentially, her motivation was the same.

Sonny Monroe decided back then that she would complete her list, no matter what. With only a few things left to check off, and graduation far enough in the distance to be a hindrance, Sonny looked forward to the possibility of checking off her list while in L.A.

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"_Attend a movie premiere party_. You've never attended a movie premiere party?"

Grady looked up incredulously from where he was reading Sonny's list aloud to his former cast members. The group was assembled, Indian-style on the floor of stage three, eating from take-out boxes of Chinese food with their chopsticks. All except Tawni who was eating a romaine salad. She claimed that Chinese food made her fat.

Sonny swallowed the piece of her egg roll before answering. "Nope. They don't exactly have movie premiere parties in Wisconsin, guys."

The group looked at each other and nodded before Zora yanked the piece of paper from Grady's hand and scanned it thoughtfully. "Hm, what else is on here? _Host a scary movie marathon? _You've never had one before?"

"Uh, Sonny is terrified of scary movies," Tawni informed the group while Sonny shrugged sheepishly.

"It's true," the brunette remarked.

"What's true?" Marshall asked, strolling into the room unannounced, as he usually did.

"That Sonny is scared of scary movies," Nico answered. "And yet, on a list of things she wants to do before she graduates college, hosting a scary movie marathon is on there."

Marshall appeared to be deep in thought for a moment before he snapped his fingers and grinned. "That's it!"

Sonny arched an eyebrow and the friends looked at one another, puzzled. "What's it?" she asked.

"Well," he explained, "I've been trying to think of a way for you and the _Mackenzie Falls _cast to set aside your differences and bury the hatchet. And I think a movie marathon between the two of you is the perfect solution. You guys could have it right on set, that way the bonding could begin!"

Zora stood up so fast that she knocked her carton of noodles over. "Wait, what?" she squeaked. "We are not, under any circumstances, voluntarily socializing with those snippy, stuck-up drama snobs. No way, no how."

A stern look was all she received from Marshall.

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Nico's monotone voice greeted the ears of the former _Mackenzie Falls _stars who sat eating their lunches in the commissary. "You all are invited to participate in a scary movie marathon tonight. Stage three. Seven o'clock."

The group looked at one another, and then glanced at the _So Random! _alumni, who looked more willing to sit through root canals than be inviting them to socialize. Chad's curious blue eyes scanned over the Randoms.

"You sound so enthusiastic about this," he remarked, corners of his mouth twitching into a smile.

Sonny rolled her eyes and groaned. "Marshall thinks it would be a good idea to have some 'bonding time' with you guys before we start filming the reunion special."

Chad's smirk widened. "So, let me get this straight – you _don't _want us to come and watch movies with you guys tonight?"

The shared look between Nico, Grady, Tawni, Sonny, and Zora was enough to answer Chad's question. He, in turn, looked at his cast members who seemed to be a little puzzled.

"Well," Chad continued, licking his lips, "if you guys don't _want _us to go, then we'll just _have _to go."

Another moment of déjà vu washed over Sonny and she cursed silently. Darn that Chad Dylan Cooper and his desire to do the exact opposite of whatever she said.

"Fine," Sonny huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at Tawni who was rolling her eyes in displeasure. "Seven o'clock."

"Fine," Chad countered with a dazzling smile.

The _So Random! _group looked at each other, shook their heads and grumbled as they moped out of the commissary. Once they were gone, Marta and Skyler simultaneously shot glances at Chad.

"Why did you rope us into your plan?" Marta asked with a frown.

Chad stretched his arms above his head and lounged back in his chair. "Because," he explained, "they don't want us to be there. We have the upper hand."

Portlyn arched an eyebrow. "Since when did this become a competition?"

Chad rolled his eyes. "Since we were forced to do this reunion with them." He leaned forward and folded his hands diplomatically, as the rest of the table mimicked his action, and leaned in closer to listen. "Look, we just have to make ourselves look as good as possible."

"Why?" Ferguson asked with curiosity.

"Because, five years ago, we lost our dignity and respect when they stole our Tween Choice award from us, that's why," Chad spat.

"I still don't get it," Chastity remarked after a pause. "Why do we have to hang out with them?"

"Because," Chad retorted in frustration, "we need to show Mr. Condor, Marshall, and all of those people who will watch this reunion special that _Mackenzie Falls _has been, and always will be, the number one show to come out of Condor studios. We have to prove that we are better than _So Random! _once and for all."

There was a silence before Portlyn narrowed her eyes and spoke boldly. "Are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with you and Sonny?"

Marta and Chastity's eyes widened as they fixed on Chad who stiffened. Jaw clenched, he responded: "This has nothing to do with her. And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't bring her up again."

Portlyn opened her mouth to say something in response, but clamped it shut as Skyler shot her a warning glare. After another moment of tense silence, Marta mumbled that she was going to head home before they had to be back in a few hours. Chastity agreed and nearly leapt out of her chair to follow. Skyler murmured a similar excuse and grabbed Portlyn's elbow.

"Ow," the latter quipped as her friend steered her out of the room. Only Ferguson and Chad remained.

"Look man," Ferguson whispered, dark eyes scanning Chad's face, "I've been your friend for years. If there's something you need to talk about, you can tell me."

Chad looked up at his friend's sincere face before sighing. "There's nothing to talk about," he mumbled. "I lost her years ago, and I can't get her back."

Ferguson nodded sadly before patting his friend's arm. "It's never too late," he responded before rising and strolling out of the room.

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Tawni scanned through the cupboards in her apartment with a frown. "I don't think I have any popcorn in here."

"We can't have a movie night without popcorn," Sonny responded as she walked into the room. The brunette was towel-drying her hair and scanned the movies that littered Tawni's countertop. Her nose wrinkled. "Have I mentioned how much I hate scary movies?"

The blonde laughed and turned from where she was ransacking shelves. "Remind me why you had it on your list again."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "I put things on the list that I have never tried before. Everything on there is something I have either been too scared to try or have always wanted to do for some strange reason."

Tawni shrugged and stretched her arm far back into the cabinet. She let out a triumphant "A-ha!" as she grasped a box of microwave popcorn. "I knew I had some in here somewhere." The young woman sat the box onto the countertop and turned to face Sonny. "Is it going to be weird tonight? Hanging out with the _Mackenzie Falls_, cast, I mean."

"I'm sure it will be," Sonny remarked with a groan. "I can't believe Marshall wanted us to hang out with them."

"You know," Tawni began, settling herself into a bar stool, "we didn't _have _to invite them. We could have just lied to Marshall. The _Mack Falls _gang would have gone along with the story. I doubt they are really anxious to spend time with us."

Sonny had thought of that option, surprisingly. It would have been much easier to lie to Marshall and have the others go along with the story. But, for some reason, she just couldn't do it.

"Yeah, but you know what happens when I try to lie to people," Sonny responded, picking an apple from the fruit basket on the counter and biting into it.

Tawni nodded her head thoughtfully. "That's true. You're a terrible liar."

Checking the clock, Sonny swallowed her bite of apple hurriedly. "I didn't even notice what time it was. I should get changed before we head out."

"Yeah," Tawni quipped sarcastically as Sonny dashed out of the kitchen and into her bedroom. "God, I can hardly wait for the fun to begin."

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Portlyn rubbed her stiff back with a scowl. She, and the rest of the _Mackenzie Falls _cast had been instructed to sit on the floor of stage three while the Randoms got to lounge on an enormous, and perfectly comfortable, couch. She nudged Chastity with her elbow, as the latter was softly snoring. The group had managed to make it through _The Exorcism of Emily Rose_, and was now onto _The Secret Window _– which Skyler had argued was more suspense than scare – and already most of the _Mackenzie Falls _clan had fallen asleep.

Stretching her arms above her head, the young woman yawned and Chastity finally startled herself awake. "Wha?"

Portlyn rose from the floor and slipped on her shoes. Skyler and Marta glanced up from the television. "I'm leaving," the young woman informed the group. The Randoms who were happily squished together on the couch chewed their popcorn slowly and raised their eyebrows. Chad, who was slumped against the foot of the couch next to Ferguson, frowned.

"You're leaving?"

"You told us we had to come here," Portlyn sneered, "but that doesn't mean we have to stay. Come on guys." The young woman gestured toward the remaining cast on the floor, who blinked at her. Was she really challenging Chad's authority as leader of the group?

Marta and Chastity looked at one another for a moment before rising from the floor. From the couch, Nico frowned. "You guys are seriously leaving?"

The two women threw genuinely apologetic looks at the _So Random! _members. Chastity mouthed an "I'm sorry" to Sonny before flanking Portlyn who was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Well?" she asked.

Skyler looked at Chad and Ferguson and shrugged. "Sorry guys. I've already seen this movie anyway." With a final glance at the five other young people on the couch, he joined Portlyn, who was still staring expectantly at the remaining actors on the floor.

Ferguson held his hands up in defense. "I'm staying," he declared. Nico and Grady nodded while the three _So Random! _girls smiled.

Sonny looked at Chad – or rather, the back of his head, for that was all she could see – curiously wondering what he would do or say. Blue eyes locked on Portlyn's questioning stare, and the blonde young man crossed his arms defiantly in front of his chest. "I'm staying too."

Chastity, Marta, and Skyler looked as though they were about to rejoin their two friends on the floor, but a sharp glare from Portlyn prevented them, and so the four exited the former prop house without another word.

"Thanks for staying," Zora said quietly.

Chad twisted around to look at the teenager and smiled. "No problem, kid." Seizing the remote from her hands, Chad paused the movie and patted the floor next to himself and Ferguson. "You guys, there's more room on the floor. We won't bite."

Nico and Grady shared a look with Zora before shrugging, and the three rose from the couch, stretched, and then settled themselves on the floor. Tawni and Sonny scooted themselves to opposite ends of the couch and then stretched out their legs happily.

"Oh, thank God for all this room!" Tawni said happily. Chad snuck a glance at her and laughed. "What?" she asked innocently, "my leg was cramping up."

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A few hours later, Tawni found herself curled up under a blanket on the floor, using Nico's legs as a pillow. Grady lounged on a beanbag chair beside the couch and snored every few moments. Zora slumbered and snored on the shoulder of Ferguson, while the television blared a blue screen, the movie having ended much earlier. Chad lay on the couch, stretched out with his head resting on the arm. As Sonny's mind began to exit from her REM cycle, the brunette yawned and snuggled further into her comfortable pillow. In her sleepy state, the young woman vaguely noticed that her pillow smelled familiar in a very comforting way. Opening her eyes slowly, she was met with the sight of a soft blue t-shirt.

Brown orbs trailed up to where Chad Dylan Cooper was still sleeping. Nestled in his chest, Sonny couldn't help but wonder exactly how she had come to be in that position. She noticed that her arms had been wrapped around him, and his were still gently wound around her waist. She let go slowly of her grasp on him and attempted to extract herself from his embrace. Chad startled awake and yawned upon doing so. When he looked down, he found himself nearly nose-to-nose with Sonny.

"Hey," he whispered sleepily.

"Hey," was her slow response. She noticed how he had still not let go of her waist. "I guess we fell asleep."

"I guess so."

The room was too quiet and Sonny could hear her heart and his beating too loudly. She knew that it was dangerous, but she couldn't help but keep eye contact with Chad. He captivated her. He knew her. As cliché as it was, those eyes of his had the power to see right through all of her charades and pent-up defenses. Chad held eye contact as she looked up at him. Even though her hair was tousled and her make-up was smudged from sleep, she was still so beautiful to him.

And before he knew what he was doing, the arms that held her waist tugged her closer into him. Her chocolate eyes widened, but she surprisingly did not pull away. Chad lowered his face so that his nose was touching Sonny's. The young woman's eyelashes fluttered as Chad's nose nudged hers and she could feel his breath on her lips.

Suddenly, Ferguson let out a loud snore in his sleep and Sonny jerked herself away from Chad, hurriedly sitting up. The movement startled Tawni awake and she mumbled: "I'm up, I'm up" before promptly slumping back onto the floor.

Staggering to her feet, Sonny ran a shaking hand through her hair and averted her flushed face from Chad, who had sat up as well.

"Sonny, I –"

"Tawni, come on," the brunette said, yanking her friend to her feet. The blonde, in turn, rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Sonny, I'm sleepy," Tawni whined. Nico, Grady, and Zora all broke from their slumbers and looked around, blinking and rubbing their eyes. Zora elbowed Ferguson who startled awake mid-snore.

"Just give me your keys," Sonny instructed as Tawni yawned. "I'll drive home."

Chad stumbled to his feet. "Sonny, please –"

"Goodnight everyone," Sonny responded, not acknowledging Chad. With tears forming in the corner of her eyes, she dragged a puzzled Tawni out of the room and into the night air.

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It was way too early, or way too late, depending on your perspective, when Tawni and Sonny arrived home. The two stumbled through the front door and Tawni – who was now more alert – noticed that Sonny's face was streaked with tears.

"What's going on, Sonny? Why did we have to rush out of there tonight?"

Sonny bit her lip and walked briskly toward the couch where she promptly burst into a fresh stream of tears. Thoroughly confused, the blonde made her way toward her hysterical friend and sat beside her.

"Sonny," Tawni began slowly, "what happened?"

The brunette's lip trembled. "We almost kissed."

Tawni's eyes widened, then glistened with compassion, and she patted her legs invitingly. Sonny, despite her tears, smiled and laid her head down on Tawni's lap, where she stayed for hours as she explained everything to Tawni.

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The sunlight that was streaming through Tawni's balcony windows caused Sonny to blink and close her eyes again with a groan. The brunette rubbed temples – a massive headache was forming and she knew that Asprin would be desperately needed soon. She rubbed her stiff neck and mentally cursed the uncomfortable-ness of Tawni's couch.

"Hey," Tawni greeted hesitantly. Sonny squinted through her bleary vision to see her friend standing dressed in a cute sundress and heels in the kitchen. "how are you feeling?"

Sonny moaned and squeezed her eyes shut as she sat up. "Like I got hit by a truck. All I want to do is shower, eat, and sleep for the rest of the day." Memories of the night prior snuck into her mind, causing her stomach to twist into knots that a pretzel would be jealous of.

Tawni wrung her hands together as Sonny meandered into the kitchen. "Well," she started, "I wish you could too, but Marshall arranged a brainstorming session with the _Mackenzie Falls _cast in a few hours."

Sighing, Sonny recalled Marshall's reminder from the day prior. "Ugh, that's today."

"That's today," Tawni echoed. She looked at her companion before speaking. "You know, I could tell Marshall that you're sick. You really do need to get some rest if you want to stay healthy for shooting. We can brainstorm and I'll fill you in with all of the details, and if you have things to add, I'm sure Marshall will be more than willing to allow you to do that when you're feeling better."

For a moment, Sonny deliberated. Finally, the young woman nodded her head and rubbed the caked make-up from her haggard cheeks. "Thanks, Tawni."

The blonde smiled slightly and shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Shaking her head, her friend continued. "No, I mean it. We used to fight and all, at the beginning. But I've never had a more honest and open friend than you, Tawn."

Tawni's smile widened as she drew her friend into an embrace. After a moment, the former stepped back and shook her head. "Okay, this is getting way too much like _7__th__ Heaven_…I'm gonna go." Sonny laughed as Tawni plucked her purse from the counter. She paused at the front door. "Oh, by the way, there's some leftovers in the fridge, and frozen stuff in the freezer, but if you wanna order in or anything, feel free."

Sonny nodded and Tawni smiled once more before shutting the front door behind her. Once she left, the brunette surveyed the apartment and let out a breath she had unconsciously been holding in for a while. After a soothing shower, the brunette changed into her favorite pair of pajama pants and t-shirt before ambling into her bedroom where Landon was sitting and purring on her bed. Smiling, Sonny climbed under the covers as Landon curled up protectively beside her.

Frowning momentarily, Sonny noted a buzzing sound coming from the floor. She reached her arm over the side of her bed and located her vibrating purse. Extracting her cell phone, Sonny realized she had four missed calls and three new voicemails. She sighed and listened.

"_Hey sweetie, it's mom. I was just calling to let you know that I'm thinking of you, and I got the pictures you e-mailed to me. Tawni's place looks just beautiful. I hope you're enjoying your time in L.A., and I can't wait to see you when you get home. Be safe! I love you."_

"_Sonny, Wisconsin is just not as 'sunny' without you…get the pun? Yeah, okay, I know it was a bit cheesy, but you make me do that. Anyway, I was just calling to let you know that I miss you and that we've been having terrible weather here recently which must mean Wisconsin misses you too. Call me whenever you get the chance, babe. I love and miss you."_

Tears welled up in Sonny's eyes as she listened to Cal's message. She pressed the button to save the voicemail and then listened to her third and final one.

"_Hey…it's me. I just wanted to say that I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened last night. I just – I don't know… Anyway, it's really late and I'm sure you need to sleep. I really am sorry for making things even worse between us. You don't deserve that. 'Kay, well, I guess I will, uh, see you soon then."_

The tears that had welled up began to stream down Sonny's face as she deleted the last voicemail. Staring at her cell phone, she debated momentarily before deciding to shut the phone off and store it on her bedside table. With Landon purring in a comforting way, the young woman laid her head on her pillow and fell asleep.

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**Whew. Well, that chapter was much longer than I anticipated it would be! I hope you all are being kept on edge with all of this drama. What's going to happen between Sonny and Cal? Between Sonny and Chad? What happened between the pair five years ago that caused the rift? Will Sonny be able to check off everything on her list? All of these unanswered questions and more WILL be answered…in upcoming chapters. ;)**

**Thank you all again SO much for reading and reviewing! Always let me know your comments – I enjoy the feedback. And keep a lookout for another chapter within the next week!**


	5. Newton's Third Law

**I begin every chapter with a thank-you note, and this one is no exception! Thank you guys so much for commenting on this story, and for caring about it. I really have enjoyed writing it thus far and there is much more to come. I'm not sure exactly how many chapters there will be yet, but I expect three more before this story wraps up. And as for the questions a lot of you want answered, I cannot promise you an answer to EXACTLY what happened between Sonny and Chad five years ago before the second-to-last chapter of the story (that would be Chapter 7). You'll get hints here and there, but trust me, there is going to be a big climax and all will be revealed! (And I hope I live up to the expectation that I'm building here, haha.) Again, I cannot thank you all enough for showing so much support for this story. It truly means a lot.**

**As a side note, I know I asked a question about the title **"A Demon in My Safest Haven"** and that actually is a line from a song off of Paramore's new album called "Turn It Off." It's one of my favorite songs on their new CD, so check it out if you get the chance. :) Anyway, that's a long enough author's note for now, so I will let you enjoy the story!**

_Disclaimers: I own nothing, Disney owns almost everything, and Isaac Newton owns stuff too. ;)_

_Spoilers: Anything and everything that has aired._

* * *

The List

"_To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction: or the forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in opposite directions." – Isaac Newton_

Chapter 5: Newton's Third Law

As Sonny stirred in her sleep, her subconscious conjured up an image of a science class in which students were learning about Newton's laws of motion. Puzzled, the young woman broke from her slumber and rubbed her eyes groggily. Why in the world had she been dreaming about science, of all things? The brunette turned her eyes to the clock on the table beside her and read the time. 4:11. Was it the morning or afternoon? A quick look out of the window told her that it was the latter and she stretched her arms abover her head. At least she had managed to sleep pleasantly and was currently refreshed enough to throw her legs over the side of the bed – unsettling Landon who opened one eye with a warning glare – and climb out.

Yawning, the woman trudged into the kitchen to the rumble of her stomach. Considering the fact that the last meal she had consumed was dinner nearly 24 hours prior, Sonny ambled around the kitchen and peered into the refrigerator looking for something to eat. As she did so, the actress hummed to herself and began perking a pot of coffee. While she was preparing her microwavable dinner, a sudden thought struck her and she dashed back into her bedroom, swiping her cell phone off the table.

Turning it on, the brunette ignored the few text messages that had accumulated and instead pressed her speed dial, and listened to the phone ring twice before a familiar voice picked up.

"Hi Sonshine."

Sonny smiled and removed her dinner from the microwave happily. "I assume you check your caller ID."

"Hun, you know I always check to see who's calling," Cal replied with a chuckle. She could faintly hear Chance barking excitedly in the background. "Here, I think Chance wants to say hello to you as well." There was a rustle as Cal dangled the phone in front of the huge Dalmatian. Sonny giggled as she listened to Chance sniff the phone curiously.

"Hi buddy," she said cheerily. "Are you being a good boy, Chance?"

Sonny could hear Cal's laugh as he moved the phone back to his own ear. "He's looking at me like he's so confused right now. I love it." Cal settled into his old, worn recliner as he breathed a sigh. "I've missed hearing your voice. How have you been?"

"I'm good," Sonny lied. She debated momentarily before continuing. "It's a lot different being back here. I've been so out of the whole L.A. scene for so long. I kind of miss two-lane highways and grazing cows."

Another chuckle was the response from Cal. "How is everyone doing?"

Plopping a forkful of green beans into her mouth, Sonny chewed thoughtfully before responding. "They're good. Tawni is the same old, same old. Zora's grown up but she's still got that funny, and at times downright scary, way about her. Nico and Grady are roommates now. They've got an apartment a few blocks from Tawni's. They're still the best of friends."

Sonny could nearly hear Cal nodding on the other end. "And how about Marshall?"

"He's good," the brunette replied after a bite of mashed potatoes. "He seems happy with being married." There was a pause before Sonny continued. "We're not the only ones he arranged to do the reunion special."

"No?" Cal asked. "Who else?"

"Well, the old cast of _Mackenzie Falls_ is working with us."

There was a silence before Cal responded slowly. "Is Chad with them?"

"Yeah," Sonny breathed. "he is."

As the actress chewed her meatloaf and potatoes, she couldn't help but wonder exactly what Cal was thinking. Was he threatened by Chad? She had, after all, told him about what had transpired five years ago. Or rather, what had happened the day she left that caused her heartache for a while. She had explained to him that Chad had been someone she cared about, someone she cared about so deeply…someone who she _thought _had cared about her.

And now, sitting in his chair a thousand miles away, her boyfriend was probably struggling with the thought that perhaps being back with him would stir up some of those old feelings. He had, Sonny believed, every right to feel that way. If the shoe were on the other foot, she certainly would.

"Are you…there?" Sonny asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Cal said, slowly forming his words. "I'm just thinking. Maybe there's a reason you and Chad are working together again."

"Well, that's because my friends are terrible and didn't tell me beforehand and Mr. Condor wants us to do this thing and –"

Cal interrupted Sonny's rambling. "No, I don't mean that. I mean…" He took a breath and paused for a second before continuing. "…maybe you're meant to find closure. I mean, for five years Sonny you have lived with this chip on your shoulder. Maybe you're meant to get rid of that so you can move forward."

Sonny nodded, forgetting momentarily that Cal could not see her. "You probably are right, Cal."

Cal smiled on the other end. "Look, Sonny, I love you, and I want to be with you. But I think that you have to figure out how to close this door before you step through another one with me."

"I agree," the brunette concluded decisively.

"I love you, Sonny Monroe, and I will talk to you soon, okay?"

Sonny beamed and nodded. "I love you Cal. Talk to you soon." She smiled upon hanging up the phone, and perked up as she heard the sound of keys jingling in the door. In walked an exhausted looking Tawni who pushed kicked off her shoes across the threshold and then raced to the couch, collapsing promptly.

"I'm so wiped out," the blonde whined, dramatically rubbing her legs. Sonny was about to open her mouth and ask exactly why she was so tired from brainstorming – which had already caused her to think of a way to tease Tawni – but then another figure barged through the front door.

"Okay, _you _are not the one carring boxes of shoes and bags of clothes here!" Zora exclaimed, petite figure weighed down by at least four bags and an additional few boxes. Sonny scurried to the door and removed some of the cargo, inducing a grateful sigh from the teenager.

"Thanks, Sonny," she responded. Throwing a deadly glare at Tawni, Zora snapped: "At least _someone _realizes that I'm not a packmule."

Tawni merely sighed an apology, clearly too wiped out from shopping to even speak. Sonny peered curiously into the bags and noted that Tawni had purchased a designer dress and pair of Jimmy Choo pumps.

"What is all this stuff for?" she asked with a frown. "A bit expensive, even for your usual shopping spree, Tawn."

The young woman in question sat up and stared at her friend, eyebrows furrowing for a moment before softening. "Oh, I completely forgot you weren't at rehearsal today. Zora, can you dig into my purse for a sec?"

Zora rolled her eyes dramatically. "Yes, my queen." She reached into Tawni's bag and extracted an envelope before handing it to Sonny.

The brunette peeled open the envelope and scanned the invitation in her hand. Her chocolate eyes widened with excitement. "We've been invited to the screening of _Platinum Sky_? Isn't that the new Jackson Tyler movie?"

"Yep," Zora said with a nod. She motioned to the bags that she had set on the apartment floor. "Hence all of the shopping."

Tawni rose to her feet and flicked a lock of hair over her shoulder. "If I am going to be meeting Jackson Tyler, I need to be wearing the perfect outfit."

Not paying her friend enough attention, the brunette continued to read the invitation. "So, apparantly they're showing the advanced screening at Graum's and then they're having an after-party at some hotel a few blocks away."

Zora was nodding as Sonny was reading. "Yeah," she remarked slowly. Zora frowned in confusion as her friend stared poignantly. "Oh!" the teenager remarked suddenly. "That means that you can check off another item on your list!"

"_Attend a movie premiere_? Check!" Sonny was practically bursting with excitement as she swallowed her last bit of coffee. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Woah, wait, when is this thing?"

"In two weeks," Tawni responded, waltzing toward the kitchen and scouring the cabinents for something to eat. Zora mimicked her action and headed to the fridge instead.

"That's the day before I leave to go home," the brunette said, realization slowly dawning on her. In only two weeks, she would be back to Wisconsin and back to reality. And, quite suddenly, there was a knot in the pit of her stomach.

Tawni peered over the bag of pretzels that she was munching from. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, her friend shrugged. "I guess I just didn't realize how quickly this was going to go."

Zora opened a container of leftovers, sniffed it, wrinkled her nose, and then placed it back in the fridge. Tawni and Sonny just stared.

"Anyway," Tawni continued, "we should probably fill you in on rehearsal today." Nodding, Sonny encouraged the pair to divulge all of the details with her. "Marshall told us all to brainstorm some sketches and we spent forever writing up most of the sketches today, but we think we've got most of the special down. There are a few things we thought you could write. Nico thought it might be amusing if we make fun of _Mackenzie Falls _by having some really dramatic Mack Falls look-alike characters pop up every now and then in the special."

Sonny nodded thoughtfully. "I could definitely write something."

"And," Zora added, "we all actually agreed on something – we want to have an interview segment to break up the sketches. You know, we can have someone from our show interview someone from that other show…" Tawni gave Zora a stern look and the teenager rolled her eyes. "…sorry, _Mackenzie Falls_. It might be a good idea to even have some fans of the show submit potential questions."

"Yeah, that actually sounds like a decent idea."

"Well then, I don't know about you kids, but I am ready for some Tawni-time," the blonde young woman announced.

Zora arched an eyebrow and looked at Sonny. "I think that's my cue to go home," she said decidedly. With a final wave at the pair, the teenager skipped out the door.

"I think I'm gonna pass on the Tawni-time," Sonny said with a chuckle and a pat on her friend's arm. "I'll try to sketch out some ideas tonight. Get it – _sketch _out?" The brunette laughed, amused at her own pun.

Arms folded across her chest, Tawni merely raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "It wasn't funny five years ago, and today? Still not."

* * *

The next morning, Tawni's brilliant convertible pulled up just as another equally stunning one did in the parking lot of Condor studios. Throwing a sideways glance at the car, Sonny's heart collided with her throat. _Of course,_ she thought bitterly. The blonde in the next car shut the roaring engine off and opened his door before even noticing the car that was parked beside him. Sonny maintained eye contact with him, and was a bit taken aback when Chad's eyes darted quickly away. Frowning, the brunette opened her passenger side door to allow Zora to climb out from the back.

Tawni, in typical fashion, was staring in her rearview mirror as she carefully applied her Cocoa-Mocha-Cocoa lipstick. The blonde pressed her lips together before smiling. "There!" she exclaimed happily.

As the three walked toward the studio, Sonny couldn't help but ask if they thought Chad was acting strange. Tawni and Zora shrugged.

"I don't pay that much attention to him," the former replied honestly. "And besides," she added, "if he _is _upset with you, it'll just prove that Newt's point."

Both Zora and Sonny stopped in their tracks and shared a bewildered look. "Who, now?" Sonny asked.

The pair picked up pace as Tawni continued to walk toward the entrance. "You know," the blonde said, dismissively waving her hand, "that guy who talked about force…or was it gravity? Maybe it had something to do with motion…"

Instantly, Sonny's dream came back to her and she snapped her fingers. "Isaac Newton!" she proclaimed.

Tawni grinned and pointed at Sonny. "Yeah, that's the guy."

Zora frowned as she pushed open the doors and strolled inside with Tawni and Sonny on her heels. "I'm the one with the genius IQ here, and I still don't get it."

Sonny walked past the commissary and her gait slowed as she peered inside. Sitting at a table with Ferguson and Chastity was Chad Dylan Cooper. She bit her lip nervously and paused for a moment beside the door. What was it about him that she couldn't shake? It was strange – it seemed like some days he was infatuated with her, and other days it seemed like she was the last person on earth he wanted to see. Why was Chad so complex? Why had he always been so complex? Hadn't she been transparent and vulnerable five years ago? Hadn't she…

The actress shook her head and trotted away from the commissary in order to catch up with Zora and Tawni. The latter gave her a strange look.

"Where'd you go?"

"I, uh, had to tie my shoe," she remarked, pointing at the Converse shoes she was wearing. Tawni didn't look thoroughly convinced, but dropped the conversation as Sonny sighed inwardly. That was a close one. _At least I didn't wear sandals today_, she thought.

As the trio approached stage three, Zora's question resurfaced. "So, I still don't get how Sonny and Chad have anything to do with Isaac Newton."

"It's simple," Sonny explained, strolling into the once prop-house. "Isaac Netwon's third law of motion applies."

"Ah," Zora sighed, before reciting: "_For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction_. So, you mean that because you and Chad almost kissed –" At this, Sonny's eyes widened to the size of saucers and she sputtered as Tawni shook her head furiously. Zora rolled her eyes. "Tawni told me."

As Sonny's eyes widened in the direction of her roommate, the blonde shrugged. "She was bound to find out anyway."

"Like I was saying," Zora said, clearing her throat, "you and Chad almost kissing is the action. And your equal and opposite reaction is…"

"…Chad completely ignoring me," Sonny finished. "Equal passion, opposite direction."

Zora patted Sonny's arm. "And you told me you never understood physics."

Tawni and Sonny only glared. "So what do I do now?" the brunette asked with a little sigh. "I mean, I can't make someone like me who doesn't want to."

"I don't think him liking you is the problem, doofus," Zora responded. "I think you just need to do what any person in this situation would."

Sonny's brown eyes begged an answer. "…and that is, what?"

Zora shrugged. "In order to understand physics, you have to approach it head-on. No fear, no insecurities, just do it."

"That's what Cal told me to do," she mumbled. "Fine," the brunette groaned. "Before this trip is over, I will confront Chad about what happened."

As if he knew he was being talked about, the drama star in question strolled into the room, his old crew following right behind him. Zora shoved Sonny toward the group and the young woman abruptly turned on her heels.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed. "I didn't mean right _now_!"

Rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time, the teenager sighed. "Fine, have it your way. If it were up to me…"

"Please," Tawni said, looking up from her phone long enough to contribute to the conversation, "I do _not _want to think about living in a world ruled by Zora."

Zora smiled mischeviously and Sonny recalled exactly _why _Zora scared her.

* * *

**Well there you guys go! I apologize if this chapter is not up to par with the last few. I usually write them in one sitting and this time I had to space out my writing time, so if it seems a bit choppy, I'm sorry for that. Yes, it is true, I cannot extend this story forever, and the end is drawing near! Never fret, you've got one more filler chapter to go before a big blow-out between Chad and Sonny ensues (don't worry though, you guys will love this argument, I assure you!) and then the story will wrap up with a chapter after that.**

**Again, thank you all SO much for reading and reviewing. You all make my day. :) Keep writing and keep reading!**


	6. Half Truths and Photo Shoots

**I have to extend a HUGE thank-you to all of my wonderful reviewers. Seriously, I am so blessed to have wonderful people who are genuinely interested in this story and the direction in which it is headed. And for that, I am eternally grateful. :) Speaking of, I have to extend two very special notes to people. First off, **Kylie Robbins **deserves some definite props for attempting to guess what happened to Sonny and Chad five years ago. You guessed a lot of good things. You're close, but not close enough. ;) But thank you for being brave enough to guess! (P.S. You all are going to find out NEXT chapter what really happened. Remember the blow-out I promised? It's coming!) Secondly, I have to send a shout-out to my wonderful writer and friend **addicted2SWAC **for being a constructive reviewer and for always being so encouraging. :) **

**In other news, I apologize in advance because this is more of a filler chapter than anything else. But it still serves a purpose, and I hope you all enjoy it anyway! Again, you all are awesome!**

_Disclaimer: If I owned SWAC, do you think I would be a near-broke college student working at a grocery store?_

_Spoilers: Anything that has aired so far._

* * *

The List

"_The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." – Flora Whittemore_

Chapter 6: Half-Truths and Photo Shoots

Chad Dylan Cooper was smiling as he sat on a barstool with Sonny's arms wrapped around his neck. She leaned over, brunette hair falling down his shirt, and beamed. They made a perfectly photogenic couple.

And that is why Aimee Kurt was currently snapping away with her camera. The duo kept smiling, and after about five minutes of pictures against the white backdrop, Aimee decided that she had enough good shots to work with.

"Y'all are free to –"

Before the young photographer had even finished her sentence, Chad and Sonny were feet away from each other, fixing their clothes and looking perturbed. Aimee raised her eyebrows and turned to the cameraman beside her.

"What's up with those two?" she asked. The cameraman merely shrugged. All he knew was that ever since the photo shoot had begun a few hours ago, the pair only spoke to one another when asked to, and could scarcely stand to be in each other's presence for longer than a minute. The photo they had just posed for, set to debut in _Tween Weekly_, was the longest that the two young adults had managed to act civil.

Sonny strode back toward where her cast was seated, munching on a healthy assortment of snacks. The old _Mackenzie Falls _cast was congregated around a separate table across set, and Marshall clearly did not approve.

"I don't understand what it is with you guys and them," he remarked, snacking on a carrot. "It's been five years. Why don't you all just move on already?"

"Why should we?" Zora asked. "They don't like us either, if you haven't noticed."

"Besides," Grady added, "after next week, we won't have to see them anymore."

Tawni nodded her head approvingly as she studied her reflection in her compact. Sonny was unsure whether she was nodding because of Grady's comment, or merely because she liked what she saw in the mirror. With Tawni, it was difficult to discern.

Marshall heaved a sigh and rubbed his bald spot. "I still can't believe I have to part with you guys again. In all my years of work, I've never found half the talent and pinash that you all had when you worked together."

The friends stared at one another and smiled genuinely. Sonny reached over Nico to grab a handful of strawberries before responding. "I did miss it."

The week had been full of rehearsals and shooting sketches. It was a slight shift from five years prior. The group had to adjust to working without a live audience to shoot in front of, and instead was told that a laugh track would be inserted once the special was complete. For the most part, the _Mackenzie Falls _crew and the group from _So Random! _managed to set aside their differences and shoot the show. Chastity, Ferguson, and Marta had even warmed up and asked to sit with them at lunch one afternoon. The comedy actors had welcomed them happily.

Of course, not everything had been sunshine and daisies. Portlyn still permanently acted as though she was superior to everyone from _So Random! _but had agreed, begrudgingly, to do a photo shoot with the girls from both casts. Skyler wasn't as abrasive as Portlyn, but at times he had still shot off snide remarks. And then there was Chad, who hadn't spoken to Sonny in a week unless it was with regard to work or was written in a script.

Sonny, at first, enjoyed the silence from the usually egotistical young actor. After a few days, however, she almost began to miss their banter. It was very peculiar to her how he had gone from wanting to kiss her to wanting to avoid her at all costs. Although, she couldn't say that she was completely certain of her feelings for him. There was a part of her that desired to be with Cal, only Cal, for the rest of her life. And then there was a part of her that felt…something whenever she looked into Chad's eyes. She couldn't place exactly what it was, but it was comforting and perfect.

Sonny tried to bury the latter part. Sighing, the brunette currently plucked a strawberry from her hand and chewed thoughtfully. She had only a week left, and still no idea how she was going to keep true to her word and confront Chad on what had happened five years ago. Perhaps there was a part of her that was afraid of what would happen when she did. Would she be able to stay mad at him? Or would that part of her, that tiny little part that felt something, rule her entire conscience?

The actress shook her head and attempted to refocus on the conversation that was going on before her. She didn't need to, however, for at that moment Aimee strolled over toward the group.

"Okay," she proclaimed, rubbing her hands together. "we're ready for the group shoot." The cast looked over, and sure enough, the _Mackenzie Falls _group was moseying toward the backdrop. With a poignant glance from Marshall that told them to look like they were enjoying themselves, the group plastered fake smiles and walked to meet their fellow actors and actresses.

Once the entire group was assembled, Aimee began placing the young men and women. She decided upon having Sonny and Chad be the focal point, with their respective cast members angled and posed behind them. The pair had their backs against one another, but the photographer had instructed them to crane their necks over their shoulders in order to look at each other with a smile. Once Aimee was sure that she had taken enough photographs, she smiled and applauded along with the rest of her staff.

"And that is a wrap!" she shouted with joy. Her blue eyes twinkled. "Thank you all for coming and participating. I can't wait for you all to see the cover and the spread that _Tween Weekly _is going to run. It was so nice meeting you all, and I wish you guys the best of luck with all of your future endeavors!"

The group smiled and applauded Aimee for her hard work and dedication. Marshall held up his hands to silence them. "Thank you all for being so patient today. We're going to head over and film the promotional commercials for the special in a few minutes, so finish eating and then meet me at the exit, please."

A flurry of movement, laughter, and muffled conversations followed as all eleven individuals filed out of the studio and toward the few cars that were parked in the lot. Marshall unlocked his before staring at the others.

"Now, I know you all haven't been bonding as well as could be expected…"

Sonny and Tawni squinted in the sunlight, but looked at one another skeptically. They had a feeling they weren't going to like where the conversation was headed.

"…so in light of that, I decided that I would take the liberty of assigning the car riding arrangements to where we are going to shoot the promotional commercials."

Chad frowned as Portlyn looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"Nico, you and Chad are the only ones besides me who drove, so you'll need to follow me as we head out. Our promotional destination is about an hour away."

Sonny gaped as Chastity exclaimed: "Wait, we're going _an hour _away? Why can't we just film somewhere in the city?"

Instead of a rebuttal, the young woman found herself being defended by the Randoms. "Woah," Zora said, raising her hand in the air, "isn't that a bit far out of the way?"

Marshall looked sternly at the group. "We have a prime location. We're going to a ranch that's an hour outside of the city. You guys will film your commercial and maybe a few photos. Anyone can shoot on a soundstage. I want you guys to get the," at this, Marshall gestured into the vast unknown, "whole _feel _of nature."

Skyler raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with," he said, walking toward Chad's car. Marshall's explanation stopped him, however, from reaching the passenger seat.

"Hold on, Skyler. You're going to be riding with Nico."

Nico looked at Skyler with a frown. "_He's _riding with me?" the actor asked. "Are you serious, Marshall?"

The director nodded his head. "In fact, Marta, Zora, and Chastity will be riding with you as well."

Nico raised his eyebrows but sighed and shrugged. "Fine," he huffed, digging out his keys.

Marshall pointed to Chad. "And you," he explained, "are going to have Tawni, Sonny, and Portlyn in your car. Ferguson and Grady, you two can ride with me."

Portlyn's eyes narrowed further as she looked at Tawni and Sonny with contempt. Chad's eyes met Sonny's and he opened his mouth, perhaps to protest the riding arrangement, but instead only frowned. "Fine," he mumbled, echoing Nico. The blonde pulled out his keys and walked toward his convertible with Portlyn on his heels.

Sonny looked at Tawni with a roll of her eyes. "Oh, this is going to be a fun hour."

* * *

It was only ten minutes into the drive, and already Tawni was pulling a Zora and plotting ways to push Portlyn out of the car and make it look like an accident.

"Ugh," the brunette in question said with disgust, "I hate this song." She jabbed the button on Chad's radio in an attempt to find another station with music that satisfied her taste.

Sonny ran a hand through her hair as the wind whipped it around her face. "I liked that song, Portlyn. Can't we just find a station and listen already?"

Portlyn turned around in her seat and shot the young woman who had spoken a look that would have made daggers envious. "I'm riding shotgun, so I choose what we listen to. If you have a problem, you can walk."

Tawni's eyes narrowed. "Hey," she barked, "little Miss One-Hit-Show-Wonder, don't tell my friend what to do."

Portlyn huffed and turned around in her seat, while Tawni smirked with satisfaction. As Sonny thanked her friend, she swore that she saw the reflection of Chad Dylan Cooper in the rearview mirror trying to hold back laughter.

"Chaddy," Portlyn whispered, placing a hand on the driver's arm, which he extracted immediately, "we should switch passengers on the way back. We could have Marta and Chastity ride with us."

Chad frowned. "The whole point," he began, "was for us to try to get along with the Randoms, and you're not doing a very good job."

The actress pursed her lips so that they were merely a thin line on her face. "Why do you care so much?" she asked. "Out of all the people in the world, you had to pick _her_."

Visibly stiffening, Chad clenched his jaw and looked in his rearview mirror. Sonny and Tawni were chatting animatedly about something, and the combination of wind and music was drowning out their conversation. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Portlyn reclined in her seat and folded her arms across her chest. "Oh please," she spat. "You've liked her from day one. All of us knew. What I can't understand," she continued, "is why. Why her?"

Chad shook his head, genuine sorrow etched across his face. "Drop it, Portlyn," he warned. "It doesn't matter anymore."

The actress leaned toward Chad. "You can't fool me," she reprimanded. "I've known you for too long, Chad. I know when you're lying. You still have feelings for her."

Sneaking another glance in the mirror, Chad sighed. "She moved on, okay?"

Thoroughly interested, Portlyn furrowed her eyebrows. "But why? We all thought that she liked you."

"Yeah, well, things happen," Chad replied bitterly.

For the first time in a while, Portlyn found herself feeling sympathetic. Her features softened and her eyes gave way to a caring and thoughtful glow. "Look," she said in a low voice, "things happen for a reason. You need to talk to her about this. You need closure," she concluded.

"I know, I know," he mumbled back. After a pause, he continued. "And you need to stop hating Sonny."

Portlyn reluctantly nodded her head. "I'm trying," she assured. When Chad raised his eyebrows and merely stared, she finished. "Alright, I get it. Old habits die hard, I guess." She glanced at Chad. "Jealousy is an ugly thing."

Chad looked at Sonny's reflection in his mirror before sighing. "Yes it is."

* * *

Sonny Monroe's smile glistened as she looked around, observing the vast, lush countryside of Pleasantville Ranch. The cast members beside her gaped in awe at the grandeur and beauty of the natural surroundings.

"Woah," Tawni exclaimed, blue eyes wide with wonder.

"This is awesome," Zora breathed, watching two stunning Thoroughbreds chase one another across a green field. The trees swayed in the light breeze as the young adults walked up a gravel driveway, a smiling Marshall leading the way.

The group approached a whitewashed house with a wrap-around porch and a lazy cat sitting on the front step. The screen door swung open with a clamor and a smiling young woman stepped out.

"Hello everyone," she greeted, shaking Marshall's hand and acknowledging the group. The redhead wiped her hands on an apron and beamed. "Welcome to Pleasantville Ranch. I trust you all had a safe trip up here?"

The casts looked at one another and nodded mutely, still taking in the beauty of their surroundings. The hostess noticed and her smile stretched further. "I can see you all are quite nature-struck," she remarked with a slight giggle. "How about you all take a look around the ranch for a bit while Marshall and I discuss some details? If you need anything, just give me a holler. My name's Leslie and my husband and I will be shooting the commercial for you in a little bit."

The friends turned toward one another before scattering in various directions. Zora gripped Sonny's forearm and tugged her and Tawni toward the white picket fence where the horses were now grazing inside. "Come on, I want to see the horses!"

A childlike glow emitted from Sonny's face as she laughed and tore off back down the driveway with her friends. Nico and Skyler – who were now getting along – decided to follow Marta and Ferguson toward an orchard on the far end of the property. A giggling Portlyn and Chastity linked arms and eyed a tire swing, skipping toward it. Only Chad and Grady remained. With a shrug, the two looked at each other and decided to explore one of the barns that Leslie pointed out. Once all of the young adults had left, Leslie turned to Marshall.

"So, how is everything going?" she asked.

Marshall sighed. "I tried to get them to bond a little bit on the way up here. I guess for some of them it worked."

The young woman nodded in understanding. "Well," she returned with a grin, "I think the country will do them some good. It has a way of clearing the mind, you know?"

With a nod, Marshall replied: "I hope so."

After a half hour of exploration, the group slowly made their way back toward the house and met Leslie's husband Mike. A few hours later, the casts had shot a commercial and a few accompanying photos. Marshall clapped his hands to get the attention of the young adults.

"Alright, everyone, let's thank Leslie and Mike for being so gracious as to let us shoot here this afternoon." Marshall paused and applauded along with the rest of the group. Smiling, he continued. "We've got a long drive back, so if you all need to use the bathroom or get a drink, head into the house."

The group dispersed, chatting animatedly with one another. Sonny, however, sighed and walked toward the white fence. She folded her arms on the wood and rested her chin in them. The sun was beginning to set, and the watercolor sky was painted with beautiful violets, magentas, and blazing oranges. Watching the breeze dance across the grass, the brunette began to feel the twinge of homesickness plummet into her stomach.

"Miss it?"

Sonny turned abruptly to find Leslie standing behind her. The latter took a few steps and stood next to Sonny by the fence, smiling as she looked over the field. "I can tell that you're a country girl," she continued. "I can always tell the country girls from the ones like Tawni, who were clearly raised in the city."

It was Sonny's turn to smile as she nodded. "That is so true."

There was a brief pause, filled only with the slight chirp of crickets and the low buzz of locusts. "So, do you miss it?" Leslie repeated.

"I do," Sonny said with a sigh. She licked her lips before continuing. "You know, when I was younger I used to think that all I wanted in life was to get out of my small town in Wisconsin and have big adventures in exciting cities. I wanted to travel, to be famous, to live out of a tour bus…"

"And now?" the redhead asked her companion with curiosity.

"Now," the young woman breathed, "I am a bit older, and not much wiser. I thought that coming back here would make me forget all about small-town life. And I love L.A., don't get me wrong. There's something about waking up to the sound of cars whizzing by outside your window, or seeing Ashton Kutcher on Rodeo Drive that makes you feel like you're an important person who actually matters in this world. But I guess what being away from Wisconsin has made me realize is that I don't want to trade in that small-town, country life again for the fast-paced city."

Leslie nodded in understanding. "I agree." She glanced over her shoulder and noticed the group of young people and Marshall were reassembling. "Well," she continued, brushing her hands on her jacket, "it looks like your friends are about ready to leave."

Sonny retracted herself from the fence and looked at Leslie with a genuine smile. "Thank you," she said, extending her hand. Leslie beamed and shook it.

"Anytime, Ms. Monroe," she assured. As Sonny walked back up the slight hill, the redhead seemed to think of something. "And Sonny?" she exclaimed. The brunette turned around, a questioning glint in her eyes. Leslie smiled before continuing. "You're more than welcome back here any time you'd like."

The brunette beamed before sprinting back up toward where her co-workers were assembled. She returned just in time to catch the end of Marshall's instructions.

"…and you all will be riding back with the same groups you rode up with. Any questions?"

No one raised their hand, so Marshall gestured and the group followed back to where the cars were parked. Sonny took one last deep breath of smog-free air and exhaled.

Tawni stared at her friend strangely. "It's just air," the blonde noted.

Portlyn and Chad were walking a few feet in front of the pair, and the brunette drama star seemed to be thinking deeply for a moment. Stopping suddenly, the young woman turned around, dark locks flipping into her face as she looked at Tawni and Sonny.

"I've decided to give up my shotgun privileges," she explained as the two friends raised their eyebrows skeptically. "Sonny, you wanted to play DJ earlier, so I think you should sit up front."

Chad turned around and threw Portlyn a look that indicated he was just as confused as the comedy actresses were.

"Well," Sonny began hesitantly.

Portlyn was currently staring at Tawni encouragingly, so the blonde finished for her friend. "Sonny would love to sit up front, wouldn't you?"

The young woman threw a look at her friend and sighed before nodding, albeit reluctantly, and slipping into the front seat of Chad's car, the door of which he politely held open for her. She mumbled a thank-you as the other three settled in for the hour-long drive back.

Sonny, exhausted from the day's events, slumped to sleep within a matter of minutes, while Portlyn followed shortly behind, snoring from the backseat. Tawni's eyes too had fluttered closed and her mouth hung open as Chad's car whizzed back toward the city.

The blonde driver adjusted the radio to a station he liked, and as he reached over, tucked a strand of loose hair behind Sonny's ear. Returning both hands to the wheel, he smiled genuinely, a gesture that was not lost on Tawni, who had indeed not been asleep at all.

* * *

"He what?"

Sonny was scanning through a rack of clothing at Nordstrom as Tawni relayed the events of the night before to her.

The blonde companion smirked. "He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and then smiled."

"I don't understand," Sonny grumbled, pulling a dress off the rack in front of her and observing it with interest. "He makes absolutely no sense to me."

"Well," Tawni began, trying on a pair of sunglasses, "I think it's clear that he still has feelings for you."

"No, really?" Sonny said with a sarcastic scoff. "I didn't get that from the fact that he _tried to kiss me_."

"What I don't get," the blonde continued, "is _you_. You go around half the time acting like you have the world's biggest chip on your shoulder for what happened five years ago. But then, the next day, you act like…"

Tawni had trailed off and was looking poignantly at Sonny. "…like what?" the brunette questioned.

"…like you still have feelings for him."

Sonny dropped the hangar that she had plucked from the rack and scooped to pick it up. "I have a boyfriend, remember?" she asked.

Tawni rolled her eyes and followed Sonny as she continued to shop. "Yes, I do realize that. But that doesn't mean that you can't have feelings for someone else," she explained.

"Well," Sonny emphasized, "Chad is just still hung up on me."

Tawni arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest skeptically. "So you have no feelings for him, whatsoever? If Zora hadn't woken up, would you have kissed him the night of the movie marathon?"

Sonny adverted Tawni's eyes when she declared: "No."

Clearly not believing Sonny's statement, the blonde dropped the conversation, but not before throwing in one final remark. "I still think you need to talk to him about what happened."

"I will," Sonny said with a groan, "just…"

Tawni looked at Sonny sternly. "You will, because you have until the night of the movie premiere. If, after the party, you don't tell him, I will."

Sonny's eyes narrowed, but then softened. "Fine," she mumbled. "it's the day before I leave anyway."

Flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder, the blonde smiled. "Good." She grabbed Sonny's elbow, inducing an emphatic response of "Hey!" from the brunette, before dragging her toward a mannequin. The blonde pointed to the dress that the statue was wearing. It was a beautiful navy ruched chiffon gown with an intricately beaded collar and sweeping floor-length skirt. Both young women smiled upon seeing the dress.

"That," Tawni breathed, "is the dress you are going to wear to the premiere." As Sonny found her size, she paraded back to the dressing room to try it on, beaming the entire way. "And that," Tawni finished to herself, "is the dress that is going to knock Chad off his feet."

* * *

**Wow. Okay guys, this chapter was MUCH longer than I anticipated, but I actually wanted to throw in the shopping for the dress scene in this chapter because the next one is going to be pretty long, and I wasn't sure I could fit it. Plus, I want the focus in the next chapter to be primarily on Sonny and Chad. And since you all have been so good, I will give you a teensy little spoiler: the title of Chapter 7 will be **"It Rains When You're Here and It Rains When You're Gone."** But that is all you will get until I update next! ;)**

**Thanks again to everyone who is sticking with the story! P.S. if you want to know what dress I picked out for Sonny, Google "****JS Boutique Ruched Chiffon Gown" and the first image is the one I picked for her. :)**

**Please hit that button where you can review, and let me know what your thoughts are!**


	7. It Rains

**Hello faithful and dedicated reviewers! Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I have been struck by the flu, which is definitely not too fun. The good news is that I'm pretty much staying in bed all day and have time to write! And of course, I know you all are anticipating this chapter, considering how much I have played it up. Haha. Anyway, I am just going to forewarn you that this chapter ends with a cliffhanger, but trust me – the next chapter is the resolution (and the final chapter, how sad!) and you will get all of the unanswered questions answered then!**

**Also, I was trying to devise a way that I could make Cal a believable character, since someone brought this up a few chapters ago. I didn't want Cal to end up being a jerk, because I think he's a really sweet guy who cares a lot about Sonny. However, I didn't want him to be so wonderful that you all don't want Sonny and Chad to end up together because you like him so much, LOL. I think I have managed to find a way to balance the two out in this chapter!**

**Again, thank you all SO much for sticking with this story and always providing great feedback. I hope that I am able to live up to everyone's expectations with this chapter. Please let me know what you all think in a review. :)**

_Disclaimer: I own…well, nothing. I will also mention that there are a few brief curse words exchanged during Chad and Sonny's confrontation. (P.S. Apparantly the title is too long to fit into fanfiction's standard box for chapter titles, so the full title of this chapter is - as promised! - below.)_

_Spoilers: Anything and everything that has aired is fair game in my book._

* * *

The List

"_Until this moment, I never understood how hard it was to lose something you never had."_

Chapter 7: It Rains When You're Here and It Rains When You're Gone

"Sonny, you're so very funny. And we don't want you to leave, please, oh please won't you stay?" Nico sung, strumming Sonny's guitar as the _So Random! _alumni sat cross-legged on the floor of the old prop house. Sonny laughed and clapped her hands as Tawni picked up the next few lines of the improvised song.

"We know you love Wisconsin and all those cows, but here you've got Hollywood and wow-zers it's amazing."

Zora and Grady fell onto the floor, clutching their sides as Tawni huffed. "What?" she asked, hands on her hips, "It's hard to think of words that rhyme with 'cow' off the top of my head."

Nico continued to strum as Sonny jumped in. "I'm gonna miss you guys, oh I'm gonna miss you guys. But you can come visit me, just take the Red Eye and fly…"

Tawni nodded with a smile and pointed at her roommate. "Very nice," she commended. Sonny did a little comical bow as Nico finished playing. The entire room erupted in applause and laughter.

"Well," Zora proclaimed, "you fulfilled another one of the things on your list – you had a song written about you."

Sonny smiled and threw an arm around Zora's shoulder before sighing. "Thank you guys. I really am going to miss hanging out with you all."

Before the room grew any more sentimental, however, Marshall burst in with a smile on his face. "I'm so proud of you all," he proclaimed, as the group of young adults turned around to smile at him. "You guys managed to put aside your differences with the _Mackenzie Falls _actors and the commercials and pictures are going to turn out great." The man sighed and looked at each of the cast members seated on the floor. "I'm just so proud of how you ki-" Marshall cut himself short, realizing that he was about to call the group of adults "kids," again.

Sonny looked at the rest of the group knowingly before smiling. "It's okay Marshall," she assured. "You can still call us 'kids.'"

Marshall grinned. "You'll always be kids to me," he said, eyes shimmering. The group let out a unanimous "aw" before rising from the floor and group-hugging their director. After a long pause, Grady decided to ask an important question.

"…since when did we become so sappy?"

Breaking apart, the old friends laughed and returned to their positions on the floor, where they chatted animatedly about the movie premiere the next night, not noticing that Marshall was still in the room.

Coughing, the director regained the attention of the babbling group congregated on the floor. "Speaking of the big movie premiere tomorrow night," he began before dramatically pausing once he was sure that the room was listening. "I think you all need some modes of transportation, so I arranged for you and the _Mackenzie Falls _cast to have limos pick you all up and take you to the red carpet."

Sonny, Tawni, and Zora squealed while Nico and Grady jumped up and began to repeatedly thank Marshall, clasping him on the shoulders while the older man just laughed.

"Woah," Sonny breathed through her happiness, "we're really going to feel like celebrities tomorrow night."

Tawni chuckled and flipped her hair. "Psh, speak for yourself, Sonny," she said. "I'm _already _a celebrity."

Zora merely rolled her eyes. "So how are these limo arrangements working?" she asked. The teenager wrinkled her nose momentarily in thought. "You're not going to make us bond with everyone again, are you?"

Marshall shook his head. "No, this time you all will have your own limo and the other kids will have their own," he assured.

Nico turned to Sonny with excitement. "Your last night in L.A., and you get to ride in a limo and go to a red carpet movie premiere."

The brunette's illuminated face fell slightly as the realization that the following night would be her last to spend with her friends in the city. The thought both saddened and frightened her because she still hadn't confronted Chad Dylan Cooper yet.

* * *

"Okay, so do you have everything packed?" Tawni asked as she munched on a celery stick and peanut butter.

Her friend and roommate for the past few weeks peeked her head through the open guest room door. "I'm pretty sure I've packed everything I possibly can," she answered.

"So," the blonde said, running down a mental checklist, "we'll come home tonight and crash from the party. Your flight is supposed to leave at one tomorrow, right?"

"Yep," the brunette declared. "so what time do you think we should leave?"

Tawni frowned with concentration and finished her bite of celery before responding. "You think leaving at 11 will be good enough? LAX can get pretty crazy depending on the day," she added as an afterthought.

Sonny nodded and finished folding her clothes before neatly stacking them into her suitcase and zipping it shut with a sigh. The young woman looked around the room, dark eyes scanning it sadly. She was going to miss L.A. And Tawni.

Emerging from the bedroom, Sonny plucked the remote from the countertop and sunk into what had become her favorite couch in Tawni's apartment. The blonde snuck a look at her friend and smiled. As much as Tawni Hart didn't mind living alone in her apartment with Landon, she had to admit that the past few weeks with Sonny were enjoyable. She had actually come to really enjoy the brunette's presence, and even her extremely peppy ways.

As Sonny channel surfed, a thought seemed to dawn on Tawni and she abruptly leapt from her chair and rushed into her bedroom. Puzzled, the brunette turned around in her seat and watched as her friend reentered the room with a bag in her hand.

"Here," Tawni said, extending the bag with a smile.

Sonny furrowed her eyebrows as she reached out and looked into the bag. "Tawni, what –" But before she could finish her sentence, the brunette pulled out a box from _Madison_ and shook her head. "Tawni," she breathed, "if this is what I think it is…"

The blonde nudged her friend's shoulder. "Just open it," she insisted.

Sonny bit her lip and pulled the top off the box, marveling at the shoes that were inside. "Tawni, I can't accept these," she said pushing the box toward her.

Tawni merely laughed and settled herself beside Sonny on the couch. "You deserve these," she insisted. "You've worked so hard, and you're going to look stunning in that dress tonight. Every girl needs to have a good pair of shoes, right?"

Her friend laughed and threw her arms around Tawni, who actually embraced the brunette. "Plus," Tawni finished, "this just means that you've accomplished everything on your list."

Sonny frowned in concentration. "Technically I didn't _buy _these shoes," she continued. Glancing at the pair in front of her once more, the young woman shook her head. "Whatever," she declared with a triumphant smile. "We've completed everything on the list!"

Tawni's bedazzling grin illuminated the room. "So are you ready?"

The brunette frowned with confusion as Tawni jingled her car keys. "Ready for what?" Sonny asked.

Tawni grasped Sonny's elbow. "We're going to get our hair and make-up done, of course," she said in the rather "no-duh" manner that was oh-so-typical of Tawni Hart. The pair giggled and headed out the door toward their appointments.

After a few hours, both young women returned to Tawni's apartment, laughing and singing loudly to a song that had been playing on the radio leaving the salon.

"Seriously Sonny," Tawni said, placing her purse down onto the countertop, "you're going to look awesome tonight once you get that dress on."

Sonny beamed and examined her make-up and hair in Tawni's hallway mirror. The hairstylist had convinced her to go with a messy updo and the make-up artist had decided to go with a smoky eye effect on her eyelids, complete with a beautiful shade of red lipstick. The brunette smiled and looked at her friend.

"Thank you, Tawni," she said genuinely. As Tawni opened her mouth to counter, Sonny continued. "No, seriously. I know we haven't spoken a whole lot over the past few years, and I regret that because you always were, despite the whole vanity and ego thing, the best friend I have ever had."

Tawni beamed and fanned her face. "Sonny Monroe, if you make me cry and ruin this make-up, I swear to God…"

The pair finished with a laugh as Sonny glanced at the clock. "Should we get ready?" she asked. Tawni too looked at the time and nodded.

"I think it's time!" she exclaimed with a little enthusiastic clap.

Sonny took a breath and walked into her room to slip into the dress that hung on the closet door.

* * *

"Woah, ladies, you look amazing!"

Nico and Grady stood gaping as Tawni and Sonny exited from Tawni's apartment building. The two young women were smiling, clutching onto their purses while holding up the corners of their dresses to ensure that they wouldn't get dirty. Tawni was positively glittering – literally – in her sequined, floor-length green gown.

"Thank you boys," Sonny said with a smile as the pair opened the door of the limo for them. Zora was waiting inside in a short pink party dress and smiled upon seeing her two female companions.

"Thank God," she exclaimed. "There was a serious lack of estrogen in here!"

Sonny chuckled as the limo rolled down the streets of L.A., finally arriving at the coveted red carpet. Nico did the honors of opening the door only to be met by incessant flashbulbs from photographers and incoherent questions. He took a smiling Sonny by the arm and led her into the fray, while Grady escorted Tawni on one arm and Zora on the other. The group smiled as cameras snapped photos of them. Up ahead, Sonny spied the alumni of _Mackenzie Falls _posing for a photograph.

A young man stuck a microphone out as Nico and Sonny paused. "Marvin Tote of _Entertainment Monthly_," he introduced. The pair smiled as he continued. "You are two of the former stars of _So Random!_ and there has been buzz of a reunion special between you and your old rivals _Mackenzie Falls_. Can you all tell us anything about that?"

Sonny looked at Nico who nudged her to respond. "Well," she began, "there will be a reunion special, and it really was a blast to film. We've all grown up so for the most part we have managed to put aside our differences and work as adults."

Marvin smiled, thanked the duo, and waved them forward. Sonny craned her neck to look behind her and noticed that Tawni was hamming it up for the camera. The brunette giggled to herself and kept walking with Nico. After a few more feet, the pair paused again for a question from one of the writers of _Tween Weekly_.

"Sonny," the young reporter started, "we haven't seen or heard from you in years. What have you been up to all this time?"

"I actually moved home to Wisconsin," the brunette said with a smile. "I'm in college there, and really love being back in my hometown."

The blonde reporter smiled and nodded before phrasing another question to Nico about rumors of an upcoming movie. Sonny took that opportunity to scan the red carpet once more. Famous stars were paused at various spots. Only a few feet ahead of her and Nico, Sonny noticed a handsome young man who was laughing with the stunning young woman who was interviewing. It was only when he turned around to look back up the red carpet that she realized, with a jolt, that it was Chad.

"So Sonny," the reporter said, breaking Sonny's concentration away from the drama star, "what has it been like working with Chad Dylan Cooper again? Five years ago there was some romantic buzz circling around you two. Anything you want to let us in on?"

Nico looked at Sonny, whose mouth was open, seemingly floundering in her thoughts. The young actor put his arm around Sonny. "I think that Sonny is happy with her relationship in Wisconsin. She talks about her boyfriend all the time." As the reporter opened her mouth, undoubtedly to try and get the gossip on this boyfriend, Nico abruptly added: "I really think we should head into the movie premiere now, but it was great talking to you Emma."

Emma nodded and watched Nico lead Sonny away. "Thanks," the brunette mumbled. Nico looked at his friend with a smile.

"Don't mention it," he assured her. The pair paused for one last photograph before entering the theater to watch the premiere of Jackson Tyler's new movie.

* * *

Tawni tugged at Sonny with one hand and reached for Zora with the other. The three young women laughed and began to dance together on the dance floor. Sonny had to admit that Jackson Tyler's new movie had been pretty good. And now everyone was enjoying themselves at the after-party. Sonny belted the song that the DJ was playing at the top of her lungs as Nico and Grady joined the group.

"Can we join your dance party?"

The young actors and actresses turned to see a bashful Marta, Portlyn, and Chastity looking hopeful. Tawni looked at the others before smiling.

"Sure," she exclaimed over the loud music.

Soon enough, Skyler and Ferguson joined the group and, had Marshall been there, he wouldn't have been able to contain his excitement. The two shows had finally bonded. Of course, there was _one _exception.

A laughing Marta linked arms with Nico as the pair meandered back toward a table to sit down. Sonny scanned the room and noticed that Chad was sitting at a table by himself, sipping a drink. The brunette bit her lip thoughtfully and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sonny turned to find Tawni staring at her encouragingly.

"Go," the blonde encouraged. She stared at where Sonny had been looking. "But you better hurry up," she finished, watching Chad take a last sip from his drink before throwing his suit jacket back on and rising from the table. "it looks like he's about to leave."

Tawni squeezed Sonny's shoulder and the brunette picked up the corner of her dress and wove her way through the crowd of people, intent on reaching Chad before he left the party. As she reached the door, her dark eyes locking on a blonde figure who was standing under the overhang of the hotel. She noticed, with a groan, that sheets of rain were flooding the parking lot and there was no way she could possibly avoid him now.

"Hey," she said, approaching him. Her breath hitched in her throat as he turned around to face her, blue eyes glassy, but just as piercing as ever.

"Hey," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets awkwardly. The pair stared at the rain and listened to the roar of a roll of thunder without saying anything for a few moments.

"So you leave tomorrow?"

Sonny turned her head and looked at him with a slight nod. "Yeah," she said, teeth chattering as a gust of wind and rain sprayed her. Chad noticed and shrugged off his jacket, placing it around Sonny's shoulders. The brunette looked at him appreciatively before slipping her arms into it.

"You ready to go home?"

The brunette looked over again, and noticed that Chad was neither smiling nor frowning. In fact, his face bore no emotion whatsoever. She frowned momentarily before answering.

"Yeah, I miss Wisconsin," she said honestly.

A nod was all she received from Chad as the pair lapsed into uncomfortable silence once again. Sonny sighed before taking a deep breath and turning her body so that she was facing him. "Chad," she began hesitantly, "I need closure."

Chad exhaled through pursed lips before turning toward Sonny as well. "I think we both do," he mumbled. "Can I start, please?" he asked rather pleadingly. Sonny nodded as Chad continued. "Sonny, I know it's been five years, and I'm pretty sure that you're happy exactly where you're at. You know, in Wisconsin with a boyfriend…" Chad trailed off momentarily before studying Sonny's face with his perfectly passionate blue eyes. "…but in five years, Sonny Monroe, I have never stopped caring about you or thinking about you. I…I love you."

There was a pause which was filled with the near-deafening onslaught of rain and Sonny's chest rose and fell heavily as she clenched her jaw and fists. "You're five years too late, Chad," she explained in a flat tone.

Chad shook his head, and instead of replying, closed the space between himself and Sonny by grasping the back of her neck and pressing his lips firmly on hers. The brunette floundered, waving her arms in shock at first, but as Chad deepened their kiss, she found her knees grow weak and tugged at his tie to pull him closer. Chad kept one hand on the back of her neck, playing with her hair and his other hand found her waist. Her arms, in turn, wound themselves around his neck. After a few moments, Sonny became consciously aware of what was happening and pushed herself away from Chad abruptly.

The brunette stumbled backward, touching her flushed face. She took one more step forward, however, and let that hand connect with Chad's cheek. The blonde star rubbed the side of his face that was now stinging from Sonny's slap and widened blue eyes were transfixed on her chocolate ones.

"What the hell, Chad?" she hissed. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Sonny clutched her purse so tightly that her knuckles were beginning to turn white. Hot tears formed in the corners of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she continued, voice escalating in volume. "Five years ago, Chad, do you remember? The day before I left I wrote you a letter…I poured my freaking heart out to you…I told you that I loved you, and what did you say? The next day you sent me a letter, telling me that it had been fun, flirting and bantering with me for a while, but you knew it would never be anything serious. You said I wasn't your type…that we would never work out. You shot me down, Chad, and it took me so long to recover from that." Sonny paused, voice trembling as the tears kept flowing. "Do you know what you did to me? You were the first guy I ever loved, the first person I ever said that to, and you destroyed me. It took me years to even be able to say 'I love you' to another guy again without the fear that I was going to get my heart broken. I was so afraid that some guy would hurt me again."

Chad's eyes were forming with tears as well. "Sonny…"

Sonny held up a hand and sobbed. "Don't even try to use the 'I'm sorry' crap with me, okay? There's nothing that you can say or do that will ever erase the hurt you caused me, Chad. You knew what you were saying, okay? And I guess I sat around for five years thinking that maybe somehow things would have been different between us, that maybe you would have had the guts to man up and chase me down when I left." Sonny glared at Chad before shaking her head. "But I can see now that I was wrong," she declared bitterly. "You're never going to grow up, Chad."

And with that, the brunette picked up her dress and raced into the pouring rain, scanning for her driver and the limo that would take her back to Tawni's apartment. Chad raced after her, but as he stood and watched her climb into her limo, he cursed silently, knowing that she was going to be gone again. And this time, he was pretty sure, it would be for good.

* * *

The entire way back to Tawni's apartment, Sonny sobbed, and the poor limo driver occasionally looked in his rearview mirror sympathetically. At a stoplight, he dug around in the front seat momentarily before handing a box of tissues back to her. Sonny chuckled through a sputtering sob and thanked him, yanking tissues from the box and dabbing at the make-up that was running down her cheeks.

"Ma'am?"

Sonny sniffled and looked up. "Yes?" she asked.

The driver pointed to the traffic jam in front of him. "It may be a while in this traffic," he started hesitantly, "and I have to be back to pick up the rest of the group in an hour…"

The brunette waved her hand. "It's okay," she assured. The driver looked at her, genuinely apologetic.

"You're only about half a block from Ms. Hart's apartment complex, and it's stopped raining," he said with a hopeful look in her direction.

Sonny smiled and grabbed her purse and a few more tissues. "No, it's completely alright," she reassured him, stepping out of the limo and noticing that there was, indeed, a terrible traffic jam that extended for a while. The driver rolled down his window and looked at the brunette, squinting as the moon began to peek out from behind gray skies.

"There's a park right over there," he said, pointing across the street. "It's a pretty good place for reflection," he added with a small smile.

"Thank you," the actress replied truthfully as she picked up the corners of her wet garment and headed toward the swing set. She frowned and dug into her purse as her phone was buzzing incessantly. She noticed the caller ID and sighed. "Hey there, Cal," she responded in a faux cheerful voice.

"Sonny," came the soft voice of her boyfriend.

The brunette's eyebrows furrowed. "Cal, is there something wrong?" She head a sniff on the other line.

"Something happened today and I have to be completely honest with you," he began shakily. Sonny frowned as Cal continued. "Look, I was at this party and one of these girls came over and we started talking and she was a little tipsy. Before I knew what was happening she grabbed my shirt and kissed me."

Sonny was silent momentarily as Cal continued. "Sonny, I swear I didn't kiss her first but for some reason I just didn't move away before she came toward me, and I feel terrible and I wouldn't blame you for hating me and…"

Cal trailed off and frowned, puzzled. Sonny was laughing.

"Sonny, what the…"

The brunette finished laughing and just sighed, shaking her head at the irony. "Oh, Cal…do you believe in signs?"

* * *

Tawni Hart kept glancing over at her passenger as her convertible sped toward LAX. Sonny was staring out of the window, blank expression on her face and bags under her chocolate eyes. After the after-party had ended, Tawni had come home to Sonny who was curled up on the couch with a jacket, and proceeded to explain to her everything that had transpired between herself and Chad, and how she was also currently boyfriend-less.

"It's really for the best with Cal," she had explained through her wave of fresh tears. "Clearly if both of us kissed other people, we just weren't meant to be with each other."

And Tawni, like the good friend she was, had stayed up with the young woman until the tears had lulled them both to sleep. Now, the brunette was currently yawning as Tawni finally parked the car. Sonny slipped out of the passenger's seat and began unloading her bags from her friend's trunk.

"So," the blonde said, breaking the silence.

Sonny looked up with a sad little smile as the pair walked into the airport. "So," Sonny repeated. "I guess this is goodbye."

Tawni's eyes actually shimmered with tears and she wiped them hastily away. Sonny noticed however, and giggled softly before throwing her arms around Tawni in a hug.

"Thank you," the brunette murmured into her friend's shirt. "Thank you for always being there for me."

Tawni broke apart from their hug and smiled, ruffling Sonny's hair. "Take care, kiddo," she said affectionately. Sonny beamed as she waved goodbye to her friend and climbed the stairs to her gate. Tawni kept waving until Sonny was out of sight and then lowered her hand sadly. With a shake of her head, the blonde sighed and walked out of the airport into the brilliant L.A. morning.

* * *

Chad Dylan Cooper smoothed out his blonde hair and licked his lips as he stood in line for a coffee at Starbucks. He scanned the menu before the loud roar of a plane overhead startled him. As he watched it soar by from the window, he couldn't help but wonder if Sonny was on there, headed back toward Wisconsin.

"Tall, decaf, non-fat latte for Josh," the barista called out, slipping the drink onto the countertop. A young man with glasses who seemed oddly familiar to Chad took the drink with an appreciative smile. Before the recipient headed out the door, Chad connected the name and face and called out.

"Josh!"

Josh turned around, scanning for the source of the voice and noticed Chad making his way toward him.

"Chad Dylan Cooper?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "I didn't think you ever remembered my name."

Chad shrugged as the wheels in his head were turning. "Josh, you always did the mail on set, right?"

Josh nodded and formed his words slowly. "Yeah…so?"

The blonde actor grasped Josh's jacket, and stared at him with a piercing gaze. "I need you to do me a favor," Chad begged. "It was five years ago, but I need you to try and remember what happened the day that _So Random! _and _Mackenzie Falls _ended. Do you remember delivering a letter from Sonny to me the day before that?"

Josh nodded as he began to think. "Yeah, and I remember you sent one back to her the next day."

Chad bit his lip. "Okay," he said slowly, "now I need you to remember if there was anything that happened between my dressing room and you delivering it to Sonny's dressing room."

"Chad," Josh began hesitantly, "that was five years ago, I…"

The blonde pleaded with him. "Please, try to remember. This is really important. Sonny thinks that I sent her a letter breaking her heart, and I can't prove to her that I didn't."

Josh sighed and closed his eyes, trying to remember that day five years ago. "All I remember was that I stopped the cart to talk to Nico and Grady for a minute. I think Mr. Condor was coming down the hall so they were getting ready to say goodbye to him. And then Dakota wanted to help me push the mail cart…"

"Dakota," Chad growled, eyes widening in realization. He clapped Josh on the shoulder, proclaiming a "Thank you man!" before rushing out of the coffee shop.

* * *

**DUN-DUN-DUN! Seriously, you all didn't think that I would make Chad that heartless, did you? ;) Of course, Dakota must have switched out the letters once she saw one addressed from Chad to Sonny. So what did Chad's REAL letter say? Will he ever get a chance to tell Sonny what really happened five years ago? Will she believe him? How on earth is this going to end?**

**For those answers, you will of course have to tune into the last installment of "The List." :) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please let me know what you thought about it, because I always love hearing constructive feedback!**

**Thank you all again SO much for showing this little story so much love. You guys are the best!**


	8. Forever and Always

**Wow, I cannot believe that we are on the final chapter of our story. It seems like just yesterday I started it off, and now we're on our conclusion! I would, for one final time, take this opportunity to thank each and every person who has reviewed this story. When I say that you all are the BEST reviewers and fans, I don't say that lightly. ;) Special thanks to **addicted2SWAC, Mlle. Madeline, **and **Kylie Robbins** for always being so encouraging and helpful in their reviews, not just on this story, but on every one. All of you reviewers are wonderful and it actually makes me sad to end this fic, knowing that I won't be writing for you all again with this plot. And another person who deserves a special shout-out is **PrettyKittyKat23** because the concept of a five-year jump in time is part of her challenge, of which this story is a contestant. ;) **

**Well, here we are – Sonny is on her way back to Wisconsin forever, Chad is stuck in L.A. (but finally understands why his real letter did not get sent), and both of them are now hopelessly single. What in the world is going to happen? If you know me, you always know to expect drama and a happy ending. Don't worry, you will find both right here. :) So sit back, relax, and enjoy the last chapter of "The List"!**

**(Oh, and thanks for all of the well-wishes! I am feeling much better!)**

_Final Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sad._

_Spoilers: Everything that has aired is fair game._

* * *

The List

"_And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called. And then you feel so low you can't feel nothing at all. Then you flashback to when he said forever and always." – Taylor Swift_

Chapter 8: Forever and Always

Chad Dylan Cooper was pacing the floor of the apartment, wringing his hands together in nervous anticipation as Tawni sat on the couch with a laptop settled next to her.

"I can't believe," the young woman began with a shake of her head, "that you dragged me into this."

Chad stopped pacing long enough to narrow his eyes at her. "Hey, if I recall, you didn't have to say yes. You could have just…I don't know, slammed the door in my face."

Tawni rolled her eyes as she scrolled through a list of flights to Wisconsin. Choosing to avoid the statement that her companion had just made, the actress licked her lips and beckoned the object of her loathing over to the couch. "Here," she said, pointing at the screen. Chad looked over her shoulder as she read: "There's a flight tomorrow morning. I tried for today, but the one and only flight to Wisconsin was the one that she took."

The blonde drama star sighed and ran a hand through his perfect hair. "Okay, book two seats."

"Alright, I'll book…wait, _two _seats?" she asked incredulously.

Chad looked at her poignantly. "Uh, yes. You didn't think I was going by myself, did you?"

"Well," the starlet began, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger, "who else is going with you?" Chad stopped pacing and his piercing blue eyes were now looking at her, hoping she would get the hint. Finally, Tawni's own eyes widened and she jumped off the couch. "Woah, no way," she insisted, waving her hands. "I am not going to…" the blonde trailed off the sentence in order to shudder, "…_Wisconsin_." Tawni looked at Chad with hands on her hips. "Especially," she added, "not with you."

Tawni Hart had no idea why she had even opened the door when Chad had knocked. She had been perfectly content, sipping on a cup of green tea and blotting her teary eyes when a pounding had stirred her from her thoughts of missing Sonny. She had opened it to find a disheveled Chad who looked like he had run to her apartment.

"What are _you _doing here?" she had asked rather scathingly. He was the reason that Sonny had spent her last night in L.A. bawling her eyes out. He was the reason that she had been scarred for five years, and now he had shown up, once again, to beg for forgiveness. When Chad opened his mouth to respond, Tawni snapped a reply for him. "If you're here to see her, you're too late. I just dropped her off at the airport. She's gone."

Chad's open mouth flopped closed, disheartened. So it had been Sonny's plane that he had seen whilst in the coffee shop. "Can I come in?" he asked pathetically. He turned on his old charm, blue eyes melting like a helpless puppy's. When Tawni's jaw clenched and she narrowed her gaze at him, he added: "Please?"

Sighing, the young woman had let him into her apartment where he had explained to her everything that had transpired within the past few hours. She found herself listening intently, heart slightly softening as she noticed the tears that were gathering at the corner of Chad's eyes. And so, she agreed to help him search for flights to Wisconsin.

"I don't get it."

Chad was shaken from his train of thought and looked at Tawni, whose glassy eyes were now fixed on his. She was shaking her head and repeated: "I don't get it."

The blonde heartthrob frowned. "You don't get what?"

Tawni bit her lip and shook her head, blonde hair flinging into her face. "I don't get why you always do things too late," she explained. Chad shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and let his companion continue. "Five years ago, you could have chased after her, but you didn't. Last night, you could have done the same thing…but you didn't. Are you seeing a pattern here?"

Chad sighed heavily. "Back then, I was a coward. And now," the blonde said, pausing to think. "Well, now I guess I still am. But there's a difference between five years ago and today, Tawni. Today I am going to do something about it. I may not be able to change what happened between us, but I love her, Tawni."

There was a silence that followed Chad's confession in which Tawni studied him intently. She had no doubt that Chad had cared about Sonny, and she knew that the brunette was helplessly in love with him. But now, hearing Chad admit it as well, brought a small smile to her face.

"I know," she assured him.

The two blondes looked at one another and smiled before Chad rubbed his eyes wearily. "Okay, so we're booked for tomorrow?" he asked.

Tawni looked at the computer and pressed a button, confirming their flight. "Yeah, we're good," she countered. The young woman looked at her companion and continued hesitantly: "So…what are you going to do? You're willing to fly a thousand miles for her to possibly reject you again?"

Chad pulled his coat off of Tawni's couch and looked at the young woman with a determined gaze. "Yes," he said confidently. "I don't care if she spits in my face. I lost her twice because I wasn't even willing to try. And there's no way in hell that I'm going to let that happen again."

Well, you could have bowled Tawni over with a feather as she watched Chad stride toward the door. She seemed to shake herself free from her trancelike state for a moment as she called out: "Wait, where are you going?"

The young man turned around and faced his companion, aqua eyes ablaze with passion. "I've got something to do before we leave tomorrow," he explained. "I'll be here at nine in the morning. Will you be ready?"

"I'll be ready," she assured him as he headed out the door. Standing in the revelation of what was going to take place, Tawni shook her head. Suddenly, the actress seemed to think of something. "Oh my God. What am I going to wear to _Wisconsin_?"

* * *

"Don't worry daddy, I'll get the –"

Fourteen-year old Dakota Condor opened the door of the luxurious Beverly Hills mansion she shared with her father and gaped. Standing in the doorway was the young man that, five years ago, adorned her bedroom wall on many smiling posters.

"Chad?" she asked hesitantly. Her eyebrows rose skeptically as she stared him up and down. He looked like he had just run a half-marathon. "What are you doing here?"

The star's shoulders sagged as he exhaled through pursed lips and looked at the teenager seriously. "I need you to do something for me," he began.

Dakota's eyebrows disappeared under the wispy bangs that framed her face and she continued to look at Chad with puzzlement. "What do you need?"

"I need you to remember five years ago," Chad said with seriousness.

Dakota's little lips frowned. "I was a nine."

"I realize that," the actor responded, rubbing his temples. "But I need you to do your best for me. Please?"

"Of course," Dakota mumbled, leaning against the doorframe. "What do you need?" she repeated.

Chad licked his lips, hoping for something, for anything that could confirm what Josh had said in the coffee shop. "Do you remember the day that _Mackenzie Falls _and _So Random! _ended?"

The young girl before him folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes momentarily. "I think so," she replied before opening them and staring questioningly at Chad. "Why does it matter?"

"Do you remember a kid named Josh?" Chad persisted, a hopeful wave washing through his body. If Dakota remembered, it would be solid proof to Sonny that he didn't send that letter. "He used to push the mail cart," the blonde continued upon seeing Dakota's shaking head.

"Uh, vaguely," she responded, seemingly bored by Chad's conversation. "Again, what does this have to do with anything?"

Chad grasped Dakota's shoulder and the little girl looked at him as if he was crazy. "Look," Chad said in a low voice, "that day, I sent a letter to Sonny telling her how I felt about her. Except, for some reason, the letter that she received told her that I didn't want to be with her and that I didn't care about her. Do you have any idea how that might have happened?"

Dakota's eyes widened and she pursed her lips so that they were a mere thin line on her innocent face. "Chad," she began softly, "I was a kid. Admittedly, I was an evil little child. You can't hold me accountable for what I may or may not have done back then."

"But," Chad persisted, eyes boring into hers, "you remember, then? What did you do?"

Dakota extracted Chad's arm from her shoulder and sighed, holding up her hands in defense. "Okay, look, you have to promise to not hate me," she said slowly. When Chad didn't make any promise of the sort, the teenager continued begrudgingly. "I remember seeing the letter sitting on top of Josh's cart. I was curious, so I opened it and read it. Josh was so busy talking to Nico and Grady that he didn't even notice it was gone. I wrote another letter and then slipped it into Sonny's dressing room before she left." The girl's eyes widened with remorse. "I'm sorry, Chad. I didn't know…"

Chad closed his eyes and sighed while Dakota bit her lip, waiting for him to explode with rage. Instead, the blonde merely asked: "What did you do with it?"

Dakota's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What?"

"The real letter that I wrote to her," he continued, "What did you do with it?"

The young woman closed her eyes and bit her lip harder, trying desperately to remember what she did with the letter. Instead, she shook her head sadly. "I…I can't remember," she admitted. Opening her eyes, she was met with the disappointed face of Chad Dylan Cooper which made her heart seem to plummet into her stomach.

"I'm sorry, Chad," the girl repeated as the drama star turned to leave.

Chad turned around and gave her a sad smile. "I forgive you, Dakota." As the blonde walked back toward the front gate, Dakota shut the door slowly. After it was closed, she seemed to be pondering something. The girl's eyes lit up and she dashed out the back door and into the brilliant summer air. Opening the door to the guest house, she breathed in the smell of nostalgic memories and pawed through boxes that lined the floor. Awards, ribbons, and photographs spilled out, along with posters and knick-knacks reminiscent of childhood days.

Finally, Dakota discovered the box that she was looking for and smiled, triumphantly dragging it back into the house.

"Daddy!" she called, smile lighting up her entire face, "I need a favor…"

* * *

Sonny Monroe hung up the phone and looked out of the kitchen window, watching Jennifer's cat button chase a squirrel. The brunette giggled and brushed a few tears away from her eyes before exhaling heavily and yelling at Fuzzy – the affectionate name that her roommate had given the fluffy white cat. Fuzzy, in turn, merely looked up and attempted to locate exactly who had been scolding him. When he noticed Sonny staring at him through the window above the sink, he glared and sulked away.

Sonny let out a barking laugh and hummed as she continued to chop fruit and place it into a bowl for the fruit salad she was making. Jennifer was in class still – she had grumbled all the way through her first session of summer school and was still grumbling through her second – and Lynn was out running errands. The three were going to have their first roommate dinner since Sonny had returned home.

She had only been home for a day and already there was something of an unsettling in her stomach whenever Lynn or Jennifer asked excitedly for stories about the glamorous Los Angeles. The memories of her final night there haunted her, so she faked a smile and told them that she would tell them all about what had happened – in due time. Due time, she felt, would be closer to never.

The brunette wiped her forehead on her arm as she knelt down to scour the fridge for the bag of grapes she knew Lynn had purchased. As she rose, a wave of afternoon summer air broke filtered through the open window and assaulted her with its smells of fresh-cut grass and sunscreen. She could see that Mr. Hannover and his wife had their grandkids over. The two little ones were laughing and chasing the dog around the backyard while Mrs. Hannover pushed the baby in the swing set. The kids looked up and saw Sonny standing at the window.

"Sonny!" they exclaimed with joy. "Grammy, Gramp, Sonny's home!"

The elderly couple looked at their neighbor and waved with smiles. "Come on over for a bit," they called.

Sonny smiled and removed her apron before pushing open the screen door to the back porch and walking across the cushy grass to her neighbor's. She ducked under their clothesline and greeted the couple with hugs. Mrs. Hannover gestured toward the picnic table and the pair sat down while Mr. Hannover – or "Gramps," as he was often affectionately called – continued to entertain the children.

"So how was Los Angeles, dear?"

Sonny took the glass of lemonade that her neighbor offered with a gracious smile and bit her lip, debating lying. The elderly woman noticed, however, and shook her head with a smirk.

"And don't you even try to lie to your old friend here," she said with a chuckle.

Sonny laughed and sipped her drink. "Well," she explained, "for the most part it was amazing. I had a great time seeing old friends and being in the city again."

Grace Hannover nodded encouraging her younger companion to continue. "…but?"

The brunette sighed. "But I think I messed up."

"How so?" Mrs. Hannover asked with a frown. "You and your roommates are the most responsible young women I know. I hardly would consider you irresponsible."

Sonny shook her head. "I think," she reiterated, "I think that I went looking for closure, but I went about it in the wrong way. Does that make sense?"

Grace removed her glasses and wiped them on her shirt as a gentle breeze ruffled her gray hair. "Well, Sonny," the woman remarked, "if you sought closure and didn't find it, maybe you weren't _meant _to find it."

There was a silence filled with the joyous giggles of the two young children and Mr. Joe Hannover. After a moment, Sonny decided to ask a question that had been nagging her since she had met the couple.

"How have you made it work?" the young woman asked her companion.

Grace looked at her curiously. "How did I make what work, my dear?"

Sonny smiled. She always loved how Grace called her "dear." It made her feel like a part of her family somehow. "Your marriage," the brunette explained with a wistful little sigh. "How did you manage to stay married to the same person for forty-five years?"

Grace chuckled and looked at Sonny honestly. "Well, I got married, mind you, when I was only eighteen years old," she explained. "But if there is one thing I have learned from all of it, it's been that you need to be with your best friend. Forget about what all of those movies tell you kids these days about the love at first sight crap." Grace paused as Sonny giggled at her bluntness. "What I have learned," she said, lowering her voice, hazel eyes locking with Sonny's brown ones seriously, "is that you need to be with someone who you know you can go through anything and everything with. Because when you have been married as long as I have, you _will _go through sickness and health, richness and poorness, good times and bad."

The older woman paused in her monologue and stared at her husband lovingly. "You see that man over there?" she asked, pointing to Joe. Sonny nodded and Grace continued. "When we first met, oh Lord how I hated his guts."

Sonny's eyes widened and she laughed. "What? No way."

"Way," Grace replied with a wink. After a moment, she continued. "It wasn't until I was in the hospital with pneumonia and he came to visit me every single night just to read to me that I thought 'This is a man. This isn't the boy who I hated for so long.' A little while after that, we started dating, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Sonny stared off into the Wisconsin distance and then refocused on Joe who was chasing his grandchildren around. She couldn't help but sigh and think of Chad, somewhere down the line, doing the exact same thing with his children and grandchildren. And where would she, Sonny, be?

Blinking back misty eyes, Sonny smiled and turned to Grace. "You got a good one," she said honestly.

Grace, in turn, smiled and put her arm around Sonny's shoulder. "And you will too, dear. Trust me, you are a very special young woman."

The brunette beamed. "Thanks." As she finished the last of her lemonade, the young woman checked her watch and rose from the table. "As much as I would love to stay, Jenn and Lynn are due home in a little bit and I have to finish up our fruit salad," she explained to her companion.

Mrs. Hannover nodded as Joe and the kids waved their goodbye. "If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me," she replied genuinely.

Sonny smiled, nodded, and returned to the little house that she shared with her two friends. Upon entering through the back screen door, she heard Lynn's Golden Retriever Molly barking incessantly.

"Molly," Sonny called as she stood in the kitchen, ready to pick up her knife and continue cutting up fruit. Molly kept barking, however, and Sonny rolled her eyes, walking through the hallway and toward the front door where the dog currently stood, yapping away. "Molly, what the heck are you –"

Sonny trailed off mid-sentence as she opened the door and looked at the little wooden front porch of their house. Molly stayed within the threshold as Sonny shut the door behind her, mouth gaping, floundering for words.

Covering every square inch of the tiny porch were cardboard boxes, and each box was opened, spilling out hundreds of sunflowers. There were more flowers than she could count, and the brunette's hands flew to her mouth in awe. What in the world had happened?

As she knelt down to pluck a brilliant yellow flower from the box, she tried to arrange the cardboard so that there was some sort of walk-way to her front door. When she turned around in her quest to rearrange, she looked back into the house and saw Lynn and Jenn peeking through the front curtains, guilty smiles flashing on each of their faces. Even Molly's head was poked through, tail eagerly wagging and tongue flapping in the breeze.

Sonny laughed and shook her head. "Did you guys do this?" she asked.

"No, that'd be me."

Sonny's heart froze within her chest as she rose and turned around slowly to face the voice. Sure enough, standing in front of the porch's steps was Chad Dylan Cooper. Her chocolate eyes were wide with awe and sheer shock as she tried to catch her breath. It must be a dream. There was no other explanation. But as Chad pushed aside boxes so that he could join Sonny on the porch, she realized with a jolt that this was indeed not a dream.

"What…how…what?"

Chad chuckled lightly and leaned against the porch's banister, a few feet away from Sonny, clearly amused at her reaction. "Never thought you would see me in Wisconsin, did you?" he asked slowly.

Sonny shook her head, still trying to process. "Well, no. No, not at all."

There was a pause and Chad looked over Sonny's shoulder to see her roommates still peeking through the curtains anxiously. Once they saw that the actor was looking at them, however, they dashed away and back into the house to give the pair a bit of privacy. Molly stayed, however, looking at the stranger on her front porch warily.

"Did they convince you to come?" Sonny asked, biting her lip and twirling the lone flower she held around in her palm.

Chad shook his head and dug his hands into his pockets. "No, they didn't. I came by myself. Well, sort of."

The blonde motioned toward Sonny's tire swing on the tree out front where a giddy Tawni was spinning. Once she noticed that her friend was staring at her, the blonde waved her hand energetically. "Look, Sonny! I'm being all country!"

Sonny couldn't help but erupt in laughter as Chad turned around to face the brunette once again. "Yeah," he explained slowly, "I think the medicine she took to help her ears during the flight is causing her to act a bit loopy."

Sonny scuffed her toe along the floor of the porch and didn't meet Chad's gaze. "So, you two just got here today?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Chad breathed. He licked his lips and studied his companion. "I couldn't let you leave again. I'm sorry, Sonny," he apologized. Sonny looked up from where she was dragging her shoe and met his genuine blue eyes. "I'm sorry that I was too scared five years ago to chase after you. But I'm here now, and I want you to know that…"

"…you didn't write that letter?" Sonny offered with a small smile.

Chad's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you knew about that?"

The brunette laughed slightly as she inched closer to Chad. "I got a call this morning," she explained. Chad still looked puzzled, so she continued. "I was surprised to hear from Dakota Condor, but I guess she got my number from her father. She called, telling me that she had stolen your real letter five years ago and had replaced it with a false one that she wrote."

Chad exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. A weight seemed to fall off of Chad's shoulders as he smiled. He was about to respond, but Sonny held a hand up to silence him.

"There's more," she explained. Sonny played with the petals of the flower before continuing. "She told me that you had come to visit her yesterday and seemed really distraught. After you left, she rummaged through a box of her old things and sure enough, buried beneath all of her _Mackenzie Falls _posters was the actual letter you had written."

The blonde actor couldn't help a grin from forming on his face as Sonny smiled. "And," the brunette continued, "she took the liberty of reading it to me. It was quite sappy, especially for you, Chad."

Chad took a step toward Sonny whose smile was brighter than all of the sunflowers on the porch. "I have one question though," the brunette began, tapping Chad's chest with the flower she held.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Why sunflowers?"

Chad licked his lips and smiled bashfully. He looked at his feet for a moment before taking a breath and meeting Sonny's curious gaze. "Because," he explained, "you're my sunshine."

Sonny laughed for a good minute as Chad frowned. "I'm sorry," the brunette gasped in between breaths, "but _that _was the sappiest thing I have ever heard." Chad pouted and she tugged at his arm with a sigh. "But," she added, eyes twinkling, "it was also the cutest."

"Oh really?" he asked with a smirk, pushing her bangs away from where they had fallen in front of her eyes. His hand trailed down her face and cupped her chin. As the pair leaned in, Sonny stopped him momentarily.

"Wait," she explained.

Chad frowned and continued to as she presented the flower that was in her hand. She began plucking petals. "He loves me, he loves me not," she recited. "He loves me, he loves me not."

The blonde laughed and took the flower from Sonny's hand. "Here, let me help you," he said, plucking all of the petals off and dropping them at her feet. "He loves you," he whispered. Sonny smiled as Chad closed the gap between them by cupping her chin and kissing her soundly. She leaned into him and sighed happily, wrapping her arms around his neck and playing with his soft hair. When the pair broke apart, Chad kissed her nose affectionately, much to the applause and whistles that broke out from Tawni, Jenn, and Lynn. Molly's barking meant that she too approved.

Sonny laughed and grasped both of Chad's hands, before her smile faded. Chad noticed and frowned as well. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Chad," she began, "you know I don't want to move back to L.A. I've got college here, and friends, and as much as it may surprise you, Wisconsin is my home."

Chad's blue eyes seemed to smile with understanding. "I know," he affirmed. The blonde paused for a moment. "And you know, I was thinking that I really haven't spent much time outside of the city. I think it might be nice to live somewhere a little more rural…I hear Wisconsin is pretty nice," he added with a wink.

Sonny smacked his chest playfully. She pointed a finger at him. "You better not be joking," she warned.

Chad held up his hands in mock defense. "Cross my heart," he promised before drawing Sonny into a hug. "Besides, why would I want to be anywhere but with you?"

"Aw," Sonny said, drawing out the word. "You're the cheesiest person in the world."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he remarked.

Tawni bounded over from the tire swing with a grin plastered on her face. "So you two are all good?" she asked.

Sonny looked up at the blonde who was holding her and smiled happily, heart feeling as if it would burst out of her chest at any moment. "Yeah, I think we are."

"Good," Tawni said, walking up the stairs and wrapping her arms around them both. Sonny looked at Chad with raised eyebrows and the drama star tried hard to not laugh.

"So I was thinking," Tawni said after breaking apart from the group.

Sonny rolled her eyes. "Oh God, that's never a good thing."

Hands on her hips, the blonde huffed. "I resent that." She was not deterred, however, and continued. "I was thinking that I'm going to take a little bit of a vacation."

"Oh really?" Chad asked.

"Yes," Tawni replied, clapping her hands. "I decided to come and take a, well, _permanent _vacation here in Wisconsin."

Sonny and Chad looked at one another and sputtered. "Wha-what?"

Tawni looked at the pair for a moment with a smile before laughing. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed with glee. The couple looked at one another with raised eyebrows and chuckled with Tawni. "Oh God, you should have seen your faces. You looked terrified," she squealed through her laughter.

As Sonny and Chad looked at one another happily and walked into the house, Tawni trailed behind them. "Seriously," she remarked, "did you honestly think I would move to _Wisconsin_?"

"Stranger things have happened," Sonny remarked looking at Chad with a knowing glance.

Tawni shook her head and mumbled: "Not _that _strange." But as she looked at her two friends – or rather, her friend and the guy she had flown half-way across the country with – she couldn't help it. A genuine, perfectly dazzling Tawni Hart smile lit up her face.

Sometimes, happily ever afters just worked themselves out.

* * *

**Well, there you have it: THE END. I honestly did not plan on having Tawni follow Chad out to Wisconsin, but then when I thought about it again, why couldn't she? LOL. And the little exchange with the next-door-neighbor wasn't planned, but I needed to add some filler time so that Chad could get those boxes of flowers on the porch without Sonny noticing. ;)**

**A final THANK YOU to everyone who made this story such a success. You all are the best and I am sad to see "The List" come to an end. You guys have seriously been the best reviewers I have ever had, and I cannot ever thank you enough for that. I hope you enjoyed the story through all of its twists and turns, and if you want to hear more from me, just put me on author alerts!**

**Again, I hope that you all enjoyed, and I now officially, and humbly, bid "The List" farewell!**


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